Yuma Border Patrol Agents Seize Drugs, Cash, Shotgun

Monday, February 04, 2008

Yuma, Ariz. – Yuma, Ariz. Border Patrol agents assigned to the checkpoint on Interstate 8 apprehended two illegal aliens possessing drugs, paraphernalia, cash and a sawed-off shotgun Saturday night.

About 9 p.m. a canine handler assigned to the checkpoint referred a 1999 Ford Expedition to secondary after his canine alerted to the vehicle. At the secondary inspection lane, an agent conducted a brief field interview with the two occupants of the vehicle and determined that both were citizens and nationals of Mexico illegally present in the United States.

During a comprehensive search of the vehicle, agents discovered a shotgun with an illegally shortened barrel along with five grams of methamphetamine, three grams of marijuana, drug paraphernalia and about $2,600 of U.S. currency.

One of the vehicle’s occupants, Martin Lorenzo-Banos, had been apprehended for immigration related offenses on 23 previous occasions and had been arrested for criminal offenses including aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, disorderly conduct with a weapon, driving with a suspended license, false reports to law enforcement officials, and possession of narcotics and paraphernalia. The second subject had no prior immigration or criminal offenses.