SW Arizona News

The Chief Patrol Agent for U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Yuma Sector announced the interception of a drug smuggling attempt and the seizure of over 99 pounds of methamphetamine by Wellton Station agents. This statement was shared on X on February 12.

According to the post, the seizure occurred on February 11 on Interstate 8, east of Yuma. CBP agents confiscated over 99 pounds of methamphetamine and more than four pounds of fentanyl. Both the driver and the drugs were handed over to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.

The Wellton Station, established on February 1, 1955, initially operated with two patrol inspectors covering the Wellton and Tacna areas. Between April 1964 and August 1967, Yuma Sector agents provided coverage. Today, agents at Wellton Station are responsible for 65 miles of the international border with Mexico and also manage a remote forward operating base called "Camp Grip," located within the Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge, according to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection website dedicated to the station.

Screenshot of Yuma Sector Chief's Feb. 12 post on X | X

The Yuma Sector, as outlined on CBP's dedicated webpage, covers 181,670 square miles of desert between California and Arizona. It includes 126 miles of U.S. border stretching from the Imperial Sand Dunes to the Yuma-Pima County Line. Since its establishment in 2004, the sector has doubled in size over the last two decades. The sector operates three border stations: Blythe in California and two in Arizona—Yuma and Wellton.

The U.S. Border Patrol is a federal law enforcement agency under the Department of Homeland Security responsible for securing the nation's borders against illegal entry of people and contraband. Since its establishment in 1924, it has operated across 328 ports of entry, safeguarding approximately 7,000 miles of land borders and 95,000 miles of maritime borders.