Two men have been arrested on heroin charges after they apparently took a wrong turn and ended up at the U.S.-Canadian border crossing in Houlton.   

MDEA
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The Maine Drug Enforcement Agency on Sunday arrested 34-year-old Francisco Vasquez of Mansfield, Connecticut and 32-year-old Sammy Rodriguez of Bronx, N.Y. for Aggravated Trafficking in Heroin.

U.S. Customs & Border Protection Officers notified MDEA agents Sunday morning that they were detaining two men for drug violations at the Houlton Port of Entry, according to MDEA Regional Commander Scott Pelletier.

Agents said the two men claimed to be traveling to Caribou from Connecticut for a birthday party but missed the Houlton exit and ended up on the Canadian side at the border crossing. Canadian customs officials conducted a search of the car and allegedly found materials and packaging consistent with drug trafficking but no drugs were found.

The car then turned around to return to the U.S. side, officials said. Upon re-entry, U.S. Customs & Border Patrol agents conducted another search with the help of a drug recognition dog who alerted to the presence of drugs around the car’s wheel wells. MDEA agents said they seized two bags of suspected heroin concealed in the car’s trunk.

The total weight of the suspected heroin was about 66 grams – the equivalent of 660 doses with a street value of $20,000.  Officials also found packing materials and $640 in suspected drug proceeds, the MDEA said.

Vasquez and Rodriguez were arrested and transported to the Aroostook County Jail where bail was set at $25,000 cash each. The investigation is continuing.

This information was released Monday morning by Maine Department of Public Safety spokesman Steve McCausland

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