Drug catapult mounted on Arizona-Mexico border fence is first of its kind

U.S. Border Patrol said a catapult mounted to the Arizona-Mexico border fence, and used to throw bundles of marijuana across, is the first one of its kind that agents in the area have encountered.

But catapults are not a new phenomenon altogether, Tucson sector spokesman Vicente Paco said.

"It's not a common trend that we see," he said. "But we do encounter them across the sectors, particularly in the Douglas area, and east of that."

Agents on patrol discovered the contraption on Feb. 10 east of Douglas. The area is somewhat remote and rural on the American side, he said, but has a much larger population on the Mexican side.

Paco said what makes this catapult unique is the fact that it was latched onto the top of the border fence, and even had what appeared to be shock absorbers or springs.

"We've seen air cannon-powered cylinders; some even have engines attached to it," he said. "We've seen slings with rubber bands, and we've seen people tossing [drugs] over, the size of footballs," he said. "We've seen different types of launchers, but this specific design is [a] first."

A statement from Customs and Border Protection — the agency that includes Border Patrol — said the agents witnessed several men on the Mexican side running away from the fence as they approached. They also located in the area two bundles of marijuana, weighing a combined total of about 47 pounds.

Border Patrol called Mexican authorities to dismantle the catapult. Agents helped torch the contraption because of the weight on the fence, Paco said.

Customs and Border Protection officials continued to investigate on Wednesday. No arrests had been made.