Cannabis Cannon Litters Field Near Yuma with Kilo-Sized Projectiles
BY CHRIS McDANIEL – SUN STAFF WRITER
An attempt by drug smugglers to propel cans of marijuana into the United States with a pneumatic cannon was thwarted by Border Patrol agents over the weekend.
The incident happened some time after sunset Friday in a field near County 22nd and the Colorado River, just northwest of San Luis, Ariz.
The drug smugglers crossed the Colorado River with the pneumatic cannon and entered an area of U.S. territory outside of the border fence. They then used a carbon dioxide canister to propel the pot over the salinity canal and the border fence into a field abut 500 feet away. The marijuana was tucked inside what appeared to be soup cans inside of larger cans and sealed on the ends.
“By actually shooting it over the fence, they don’t have to worry about mules or smugglers actually backpacking it across,” said Kyle Estes, Yuma Sector Border Patrol public affairs officer, adding someone was most likely waiting to pick up the marijuana on the U.S. side.