Tucson Region

125 lbs. of coke seized in Douglas; 3 held

Three people were arrested and 125 pounds of cocaine seized at the Douglas port of entry last week, officials said. The first incident occurred Sept. 29 when a 25-year-old woman from Sinaloa tried to smuggle nearly 50 pounds of cocaine hidden in a 2003 Chevy Zafira. U.S. Customs and Border Protection inspectors found 20 packages of cocaine hidden in a compartment in the floor of the vehicle, a news release from the agency's Tucson office said. The woman and her 51-year-old passenger were arrested. The value of the cocaine is estimated at $385,000. Last Saturday, a 51-year-old Hermosillo man was caught with nearly 75 pounds of cocaine stashed in a 2005 Chevy Equinox, the release stated. That seizure had an estimated Tucson street value of $575,000.