Tucson gets a gold star for a notable feat: the largest Arizona marijuana seizure so far this year went down right here in the foothills area.
More than 7, 200 pounds of pot was seized by U.S. Immigrant and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents at a home near Alvernon and River roads on June 14, according to a news release from the agency.
Agents had been scoping out the house for several days and were able to take action after they spied an 18-foot trailer being hauled into the driveway.
The two men in the GMC Yukon hauling the trailer got out of the truck and fled – perhaps tipping off agents that something was amiss.
Agents gave chase with the help of the Pima County sheriff’s canine unit but were unable to nab the two suspects. They were able to obtain a search warrant, however, which uncovered 5,500 pounds of pot in the trailer and an additional 1,700 pounds in the house.
The house is owned by a local Tucson businessman and was rented to a Mexican citizen by a property management company.
While it is utterly exciting to live in a place that boasts the biggest Arizona pot bust of 2010, we also have to wonder who lives among us in this fair city.
How well do we really know our neighbors?
Sure, we might know their names are John and Jane and they drive a red SUV to their kids’ soccer practices. Or we may know the college-age guy zooms down the sidewalk on his bicycle while dragging his leashed dog by the neck along for the ride.
But that’s about it. When it comes to what goes on behind closed doors, we often have no clue.
This does not mean some busybody neighbors don’t attempt to find out all that is going on. Some will peer over our fences or even take photos of things like metal artwork they think violate homeowner association rules.
But when it comes to helping or reporting problems, lots of folks get namby-pamby.
All of a sudden it’s none of their business.
Now, we’re not saying this massive foothills stash house was not reported on by the neighbors. ICE did not disclose its sources.
But we are saying that people are often reluctant to get involved.
Some may simply say it’s none of their business if the wife gets beaten or the dog gets kicked. Others may rather grit their teeth through a loud, raucous party than risk potential beer cans in their yard or the bother of calling police and reporting it.
And others may stay silent out of fear. After all, if some people are bold enough to deliver more than two tons of pot to the middle of a driveway, who knows what they would do if they found out someone was ratting on them.
[tnipoll]
What do you think?
How well do you know your neighbors?
Are any of them engaged in illegal or bothersome activities?
Have you ever ratted them out?
Are you afraid to report any suspected problems?
Law enforcement would do well to also consider sub-leases in commercial space. Retail, office and industrial tenants who need a little help with their rent will sometimes not perform due diligent background checks on the sub-tenant. Sub-leases are also the home of money laundering.
good point, mike.
how much do some tenants WANT to know about potential renters. monthly money in hand could easily override due diligence, esp. in this hard-to-rent things economy.
thanks!
A drop in the bucket, a petty cash deduction for the cartels. The only real benefit will accrue to the drug control industry who will use this and similar raids to get more money to perform more raids elsewhere, thus insuring job security. After forty years of the War on Drugs, I think it’s time to do the American thing: declare victory and work out a truce.
you make it sound like one big, endless hamster wheel of futility, leftfield – hahahhahaha.
Lefty is just upset tha he’ll have to wait another day to fill his bong.
awww, c’mon jim – don’t pick on lefty. he made a nice hamster-related comment and i very much like animals. his comments often involve chickens, too.
My point is that there will be no unfilled bongs ever, no matter how long the War on Drugs goes on. Too much money to be made feeding America’s drug problem.
I agree Lefty. Though my bong has remained unfilled for some time now, this endless flow of cash and manpower in a laughable attempt to plug the deluge is a lesson in futility. Legalize nonnarcotic drugs and tax the sh…stuffing out of ’em. Cannabis should not be a schedule one drug.
Maybe some of ‘mothers little helpers'(prescription abuse) fit the bill, but not pot. Alcohol has ruined many more lives than weed.
I’ve called police a million times on some drug dealers down the street. The police bother them for a while, then it cools back down.
I’m currently upset about the young girl found murdered at my neighborhood park. I called the police yesterday with some imformation that I thought important, but they haven’t called back.
Honestly, it’s stressing me out a bit.
Hopefully, they will call back and it’ll turn out that what happened wasn’t related to this incident.
cool you take action against illegal activity in your nabe, azmouse – but not cool that it doesn’t appear to get rid of the problem.
not cool, either, on nearby murder. i was thinking of you with the freedom park incident. eeek! now i’m WAY curious about what you’ve been up to – and sorry to hear it’s stressing you.
feel better – and call police again if they don’t get back to you soon – you know the ‘squeaky wheel gets the grease’ quote – keep making noise!
Thanks Ryn.
I can practically see Lakeside from my front yard, so it’s very close.
Maybe I will call the police back. Far as I know, they don’t know anything yet about who might have killed the poor girl. I went to walk the dogs that morning and the police were everywhere.
I’ll keep you posted.
thanks for promise to keep me posted! and yes – call ’em back this afternoon.
now i’m confused on incident to which we’re referring –
they arrested a guy who was hanging around the children’s playground – if we’re talking about the freedom park incident?
from article:
(Police) took 26-year-old Francisco A. Romero to the main police station for an interview. By the time the interview was complete, police had enough to arrest Romero.
He was booked into the Pima County Jail on the charge of first-degree murder.
Police are not yet releasing any further information, such as manner and death and motive.
—
was there a recent murder at lakeside park also? didn’t hear about that one….
Yeah, I’m speaking of the girl murdered at Lakeside Park. Her body was found yesterday in the lake up the street.
http://www.kold.com/global/story.asp?s=12658406
Different than the Freedon Park incident.
thank you!! for filling me in.
never received any word of that one from tpd – although we were quick to receive a dui checkpoint news release and one about a sex offender arrest.
thanks again, i’ve updated day of dead.
that is scary to be so close…but i still say don’t get too stressed – and just keep squeaky wheeling with police…besides, you know many of your neighbors – you’re always giving them gifts! – and they prob. love you – so you have a whole fleet of folks looking out for you – and each other.
Cool on day of the dead update.
I have no fears of anyone doing anything to me at all.
One of my son’s saw something while he was bike riding at lakeside park and it may help the investigation (or not). You know, I just want the police to get back to me so maybe they can catch the killer.
GO FIGURE MOUTZE ! I TURNED IN 200 DEALERS AND THE COPS SAID ” NO, I DONT WANNTA ” TRUE STORY !!!
SID FRIVS
Tells you just how stupid the Cartel folks are. They cant even run a stash house without getting caught. Maybe not run big trucks into the area, make it look like someone safe lives there, cut the grass,(hire an illegal grass cutting crew, lots of them around!)
hahhahah! now how could an 18-foot trailer packed with 5,000 pounds of pot be an obvious sign of something amiss? hahahahha – thanks for laugh fraser007.
Loved the survey. The one about “public nudity” was funny. If it was a beautiful woman, no way I am turning her in. If it was a 300 pound hairy gut –yes turn him in! LOL
ha! thanks for second laugh – and honesty about public nudity. hahahhahaha.
glad you enjoyed survey. i tend to keep my eyes open for those ‘nasty’ folks who don’t recycle recyclables – hahahhaha.
typo–“guy”…not gut.
Just go outside, if the air smells like pachuli…call the cops!
BUST THEM SUN’SA’BITZEZ
SID FRIVS
DO YOU KNOW THE NAMES OF THESE INDIVIDUALS ?
ID LIKE TO KNOW WHO THEY RAN WITH.
OFFICER DOGWOOD
It is my understanding that the home is owned by the same people who own Casa Mlina’s Restauant. They had leased it out through a property management company.
Casa Molina’s Restaurant is owned by Lupita Molina. I think the house belongs to one her her children. I’m not certain but the Tax Assesor’s office would know for sure.