
Members of a large-scale drug-trafficking ring accused of smuggling cocaine and marijuana through Nogales have been arrested, officials say.
The group is responsible for smuggling over 19 kilograms of cocaine and 2,952 pounds of marijuana into the U.S. from Mexico since December 2010, according to a news release from the Arizona Attorney General’s office.
It had smuggled drugs through the Nogales Port of Entry in dump trucks with scrap metal, backpacks and hidden compartments in vehicles for over 10 years, the release said.
The drugs were kept in stash houses in Nogales, Rio Rico, Tucson and Phoenix.
Search and arrest warrants were served on the suspects and stash houses Thursday and 14 of the 15 people were arrested, the release said.
All 15 of those arrested have been indicted on several charges including money laundering, illegally conducting an enterprise, transportation of cocaine and marijuana for sale, use of a wire communication or electronic communication in a drug related transaction and weapons misconduct, the release said.