Three alleged drug smugglers caught Arizona/California checkpoint

BLYTHE - A narcotics smuggling checkpoint set up on the westbound Interstate 10 Freeway near the Arizona border netted three alleged drug smugglers, according to authorities.

Abraham Banuelos, 25, and Franklin Yovanni Moscoso, 24, of Omaha, Neb., and Jeremiah Seth Stoneberg, 31, of Tucson, Ariz., were arrested and booked into the Blythe jail on suspicion of possession and transportation of criminal proceeds, said Riverside sheriff's Sgt. Thomas Velarde.

They were arrested during a 24-hour operation conducted starting March 10 by the sheriff's Blythe Narcotic Enforcement Team and U.S. Border Patrol. The officers seized $92,700 as asset forfeiture and investigated four illegal possession of marijuana cases as a result of the operation, he said.

''The mission of Operation Convoy III was to disrupt smuggling operations along the Interstate 10 corridor, which is commonly used as an egress avenue by human- and drug-trafficking organizations,'' Velarde said.

''The operation also emphasized apprehending individuals from special- interest countries who presented a potential terrorist threat to national security from furthering their illegal entry into the United States.''