Mexican National Indicted for Smuggling 12,235 lbs of Marijuana

Tucson Arnulfo Morales, 51, of Tucson, Ariz., was indicted by a federal grand jury in Tucson on April 4, 2007. The indictment alleges that on March 29, 2007, Arnulfo Morales knowingly conspired with others to possess with the intent to distribute more than 1,000 kilograms of marijuana and actually possessed with the intent to distribute more than 1,000 kilograms of marijuana. Arnulfo Morales was stopped by the United States Border Patrol while driving a truck pulling an industrial sized dumpster. The dumpster contained 560 bales of marijuana weighing 5,874 kilograms (12,923 pounds). Law enforcement has noticed a recent trend among drug traffickers to utilize these types of large industrial containers to smuggle their illegal cargo to various locations for distribution. This was the second significant seizure of large amounts of marijuana loaded in these types of industrial sized dumpsters this year. A conviction for this crime carries a maximum penalty of life in prison, a fine of $4,000,000 or both. In determining an actual sentence, the assigned judge will consult the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, which provide appropriate sentencing ranges. The judge, however, is not bound by those guidelines in determining a sentence. An indictment is simply the method by which a person is charged with criminal activity and raises no inference of guilt. An individual is presumed innocent until competent evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. The investigation preceding the indictment was a collaborative effort conducted by the United States Border Patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The prosecution is being handled by David P. Petermann, Assistant U.S. Attorney, District of Arizona.