The smugglers fled the camp, presumably when they heard the helicopter. Seven backpacks with 332 pounds of marijuana were found well-hidden in some brush. Three duffel bags of canned food weighing over a hundred pounds and twelve one-gallon jugs of water were also found at the camp. The camp was about 15 miles north of the border and their destination was another 15 to 20 miles to the north. Daytime temperatures are still holding above 100 degrees, so these groups are moving only at night.
Trips take three to four days.
No arrests were made. On the 8th, two park maintenance workers found an abandoned 1990 Mercury Sable in the desert in a deep wash a mile west of a highway through the park. The trunk contained 16 bundles of marijuana weighing about 115 pounds. It appears that the driver became nervous, abandoned the vehicle, and fled into the desert. The Sable was undamaged, even though it had gone airborne at several points, but caused significant resource damage was it crossed the desert.