Arizona Department of Public Safety involved in Pursuit that leads to 1161 Pounds of Marijuana and arrest of Undocumented Alien

On Saturday, March 24, 2012, Arizona Department of Public Safety (DPS) officers attempted to stop a vehicle for a moving violation on US 191 at milepost 108 northbound. The vehicle made a u-turn and headed southbound on the highway. DPS officers initiated a pursuit and the vehicle began to speed up eventually reaching speeds in excess of 90 mph. DPS officers deployed spike strips at milepost 95, successfully deflating both left-side tires. The vehicle continued to drive on the rims taking the I-10 eastbound exiting at Page Ranch Road. The vehicle lost control while attempting to go southbound was disabled and came to a stop on the shoulder of the roadway. The driver of the vehicle Jose Manuel Miranda Fuentes, 38, was arrested without further incident. Officers conducted a search of the vehicle and 50 bundles of marijuana, weighing 1161 pounds were discovered in the bed and cab of the pickup. Fuentes was booked into Cochise County Jail in Willcox.

Suspect arrested: Jose Manuel Miranda Fuentes, 38, Agua Prieta, Mexico

Charges:

Possession of Marijuana, Possession of Marijuana for Sale, Transporting Marijuana for Sale, Unlawful Flight from Law Enforcement, and Use of Electronic communication in Drug Related Transaction.