T.O.K.E. News Presents: Prominent Naco man found with load of pot 05/30/01 by Cathy Murphy
NACO, Ariz. — U.S. Customs Service agents at the Naco Port of Entry arrested a prominent Naco businessman early Tuesday morning after a million dollars worth of marijuana was found in a truck he was driving.
Ernest Rogers, 65, owner of Roger’s Border Service, a vehicle repair and towing service, was held by port customs agents after a drug-sniffing canine led them to the rear of the pickup truck that Rogers was driving. Customs Service agents found the marijuana buried under bags of concrete and lime. Rogers has been charged with transportation of marijuana and attempted smuggling. The marijuana was turned over the U.S. Treasury Department and the vehicle has been seized by the Customs Service. Rogers is the president of the Naco Sanitary Board and also serves as president of the Naco Community Association. He served as chief of the Naco Fire District nearly a decade ago, according to community officials. A street in the border community is named in his honor — Rogers Avenue. He is also well known for his work on behalf of local charities. Periodically the Naco Port of Entry is assigned additional agents and drug-sniffing dogs. During a two-hour period on Tuesday, one of the agents assigned for the special enforcement pulled the 2001 F-350 Ford pickup truck over into the secondary search area of the Naco Port of Entry. Port Director Bill Moloski said Rogers was pulled over at random during the additional enforcement period, which was held from 6 to 8 a.m. Following the alert from Wicky, the narcotics dog, Customs agents searched the rear of the truck and located 1,281 pounds of marijuana. The truck Rogers was driving has a license plate issued in Sonora, Mexico. Moloski said U.S. agents do not have immediate access to names of vehicle owners in Mexico. Following his arrest at the Naco Port of Entry, Rogers was held overnight at the Cochise County Jail. He is due to appear at the federal court in Tucson today.