Drug Catapult Found at U.S.-Mexico Border

I came across this story and thought this was an interesting way to get drugs across the border. This I thought was an ingenious idea and funny too.



Drug smugglers trying to get marijuana across the Arizona-Mexico border apparently are trying a new approach -- a catapult.

National Guard troops operating a remote video surveillance system at the Naco Border Patrol Station say they observed several people preparing a catapult and launching packages over the International Border fence last Friday evening.

"It looks like a medieval catapult that was used back in the day," Tucson sector Border Patrol spokesman David Jimarez told Reuters.

Tucson TV station KVOA said Border Patrol agents working with the National Guard contacted Mexican authorities, who went to the location and disrupted the catapult operation.

The 3-yard tall catapult was found about 20 yards from the U.S. border on a flatbed towed by a sports utility vehicle, according to a Mexican army officer with the 45th military zone in the border state of Sonora.

The catapult was capable of launching 4.4 pounds of marijuana at a time, the officer said Wednesday, speaking on condition of anonymity for security reasons.

"I have not seen anything like that in my time before as a Border Patrol agent ... although we are trained to handle any kind of a threat that comes over that border," Jimarez added.

Soldiers seized found 35 pounds of marijuana, the vehicle and the catapult device, the officer said.

The smugglers left the area before they could be captured.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Original News Release

Sometimes low tech can be better than hi tech, I think this is brilliant

I do agree with you on that and thanks for replying.

If it's 9 feet tall it's a mangonel or trebuchet.
Or maybe a Couillard.

trebuchet
mangonel
Couillard

Pretty clever and original it seems. Too bad they "disrupted" the medieval operations.

reply to post by muzzleflash


You have to give them kudos for trying!

reply to post by sugarcookie1


I thought people would find this story interesting.

Originally posted by sugarcookie1
reply to post by sugarcookie1

 

I thought people would find this story interesting.

It is.

Not everyday you see someone bust out Medieval Tech in order to trump Modern Tech.

Didn't work out quite so well this time.

But who knows how many times they got away with it and no one found out.

reply to post by sugarcookie1


Remote video surveillance system = UAV drone.

The thought of them using a catapault brought back images of Monty Python and the Holy Grail, where the castle occupants catapault furniture and animals, including a cow at Sir Robin and his men.

Give them an A for ingenuity though.

reply to post by bg_socalif


Funny you say that I just watched that not too long ago myself. lol Yes we will give them a virtual A for ingenuity.

reply to post by muzzleflash


So very very true. I guess digging tunnels underground was too much for these guys. Before you know it they will be launching it from air cannons across the border. Like the show Pumkin Chunkin.