Local News for U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

Rain, Response, Rescues
08/20/2012 12:56 PM EDT
Tucson, Ariz. - As morning monsoon storms were creating extensive flooding in the Nogales area, Nogales Border Patrol agents were busy assisting other agencies with multiple vehicle accidents and rescues during and after heavy downpours. Flood waters threatened several homes with increasingly high water levels while agents hurriedly extracted elderly homeowners and safely transported them to higher ground. (more)

Narcotics Dealer Convicted, Sentenced to 41 Months in Prison
08/20/2012 12:56 PM EDT
Tucson, Ariz. - A 36-year-old man from Nayarit, Mexico, apprehended by Ajo Station Border Patrol agents in December 2011, was sentenced in June to 41 months of confinement. The U.S. Attorney's Office prosecuted Gerardo Benitez-Jimenez, aka Damian Perez Virgen, after his apprehension for attempting to illegally re-enter the United States as an aggravated felon following a previous deportation. (more)

Counterfeit Monetary Instruments Seized from Parcels Arriving from Ghana
08/20/2012 12:56 PM EDT
Jamaica, N.Y. - Be wary of phony money orders. Fortunately for the American public, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at John F. Kennedy Airport International Mail Branch are on the lookout daily for these counterfeit monetary instruments.During a routine inspection on August 8, CBP officers at the JFK mail facility discovered a bulky envelope that contained approximately $1 million in counterfeit money orders arriving from Ghana. (more)

Laredo Sector Border Patrol Holds Promotion Ceremony
08/20/2012 12:56 PM EDT
Laredo, Texas - Laredo Sector Border Patrol Chief Patrol Agent John C. Esquivel presented new insignia ranks and certificates to 23 Border Patrol Agents and staff during a ceremony today to recognize their recent promotions.Laredo Sector Border Patrol promoted 21 agents and two support personnel. (more)

CBP Officers at South Texas Port of Entry Arrest Man Smuggling a Variety of Drugs
08/20/2012 12:56 PM EDT
Hidalgo, Texas-U.S. Customs and Border Protection Office of Field Operations officers at the Hidalgo International Bridge arrested a man from McAllen, Texas with three different types of alleged narcotics on his person in connection with an alleged smuggling attempt. (more)

U.S. CBP Officers in South Texas Seize Nearly $790,000 in Cocaine and Methamphetamine
08/20/2012 12:56 PM EDT
Brownsville, Texas - U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at the Brownsville International Bridges discovered cocaine and methamphetamine valued at over $789,000 in two separate enforcement actions.On Wednesday, August 15, at the Los Indios International Bridge, CBP officers encountered a blue Kia Sportage being driven by a 36-year-old male Mexican citizen who resides in La Feria, Texas. (more)

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