PHOENIX, Jan. 4 (UPI) -- A new Arizona program turns marijuana smugglers arrested in the United States over to Mexican authorities for prosecution, authorities say.
The new approach at the Nogales port of entry changes the way the cases are handled, keeping smugglers in custody rather than deporting them, The Arizona Republic reported Monday.
The test program is a result of a three-way agreement among Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Customs and Border Protection and the Mexico Attorney General's Office.
"If it works in Arizona, then I certainly would hope to expand it to other parts of the border," Matt Allen, special agent in charge of Immigration and Customs Enforcement Office of Investigations in Arizona, said. "One of the significant pieces in this is that the Mexican government is stepping up and taking responsibility."
Some civil-rights attorneys in the United States are concerned about the practice's legality.
"I think they are trying to circumvent our Constitution," said Isabel Garcia, director of the Pima County Legal Defender's Office. "We should not be engaging Mexican authorities to prosecute people who would be innocent in our jurisdiction."
