The Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office have arrested eight members of a drug smuggling crew after finding them wandering the desert.
Records show MCSO and the United States Border Patrol used “long range optics” to locate the crew three miles south of Interstate 8, roughly 26 miles west of Gila Bend.
Deputies used ATV’s to approach the group after they attempted to flee. They were able to capture eight out of the nine crew members.
A report shows the group was allegedly carrying around 170 pounds of marijuana worth about $85,000.
The weird part? MCSO say the group was walking in the desert for about five to six days before being caught.
Six of the members caught have been apprehended before, one served prison time, another seized three times, and another arrested in Phoenix for a DUI.
The crew crossed the border at a non-checkpoint location, according to Border Patrol.
The members arrested said their only payment was, "being allowed to cross the border."
All the men have been charged with marijuana possession, conspiracy, and illegal control of an enterprise.
