Authorities dismantled a catapult used to launch drugs from Mexico to the United States last week after they found the contraption and marijuana during a patrol in Arizona.
Border Patrol agents found the catapult on Feb. 10, east of the Douglas Port of Entry, authorities said. Agents were drawn to the area when they noticed several people retreat from the south side of the fence as they approached.
They found a catapult attached to the south side of the border fence and two bundles of marijuana with a combined weight above 47 pounds, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials said in a news release.
Mexican authorities were called to investigate and seized the catapult. Border Patrol agents dismantled the catapult system.
Federal authorities have seen multiple drug operations including catapult systems to throw illicit substances over the border in recent years. Agents found 45 pounds of marijuana in 2011 after a remote video surveillance system caught smugglers preparing a catapult to launch the drugs into Arizona.
Officials have also seen drugs shot over the border with "devices such as air-powered cannons," or dropped into the desert with "ultralight aircraft," according to The Associated Press.
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