Why, Arizona - Border Patrol agents from the Ajo Station stopped a Dodge Durango traveling on State Route 86 east of Why, Arizona Tuesday morning to conduct an immigration inspection but, as agents exited their service vehicle, the Dodge sped away.

Agents followed the suspect vehicle until it pulled over on SR 86 and four occupants exited the vehicle and ran into the desert. Additional agents and an aircrew from Air and Marine Operations responded to the area and located the suspects.

Agents searched the vehicle and found more than 100 pounds of marijuana, worth in excess of $50,000, in the vehicle.

The vehicle’s occupants were identified as a 31-year-old male driver and a 33-year-old female passenger, both U.S. citizens, and two Mexican nationals. All were arrested for narcotics smuggling and turned over to Homeland Security Investigations along with the marijuana.