By KRWG News
Lordsburg – U.S. Border Patrol Agents in Lordsburg seized a total of 583 pounds of marijuana in two incidents and arrested a convicted sex offender.
On February 10, 2010, agents assigned to the Lordsburg Station were patrolling Interstate 10 near mile marker 2 when four subjects were observed walking. The agents approached the subjects and began consensual conversation and later questioned them as to their citizenship. 29-year old Sergio Baca Rascon admitted to being a Citizen and National of Mexico with no immigration documentation. Baca was taken to the station and entered into the automated biometric system revealing a prior conviction of "Child Molestation" in Missouri in October-2002. He was classified as an aggravated felon and sentenced to serve 41 months in prison. Baca is currently being detained pending prosecution.
Later that same day, agents from the Deming Station encountered and arrested a 20-year old United States Citizen near Columbus N.M. The arrest resulted in a seizure of approximately 192 pounds of marijuana, with a street value of over $153,000.00. The marijuana was transported to the Deming Station for storage and final disposition. The subject was later turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for disposition.
At approximately 8:00 p.m. on Wednesday, an agent using infrared equipment notified agents near Rodeo, New Mexico of suspicious activity. Upon arriving to the area, Border Patrol agents discovered eight large abandoned backpacks containing marijuana. The marijuana was transported to the Lordsburg Border Patrol Station and processed accordingly. The eight bundles weighed approximately 391 pounds, with a street value of over $312,000.00. The marijuana will be turned over to the Drug Enforcement Administration for final disposition.