C.B.P. News Release

Southern California CBP Stops Ammunition from Entering Mexico

(Monday, October 26, 2009)

San Diego - U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers along the California/Mexico border stopped 266 rounds of assault rifle ammunition from entering Mexico and stopped more than half a ton of narcotics from entering the United States this weekend.

On Sunday, October 25 at about 10:45 a.m., CBP officers and Border Patrol agents conducting outbound operations on the I-5 southbound at the San Ysidro port of entry stopped a 20-year-old female U.S. citizen for a more thorough inspection. Upon searching her vehicle, officers discovered 266 rounds of 7.62x39 ammunition in a black purse.

This ammunition is commonly used in weapons such as the AK-47 assault rifle. CBP turned the woman over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents; she is currently being held at the San Diego Metropolitan Correction Center.

Throughout the course of the weekend, officers seized about 1,167 pounds of marijuana, three and a half pounds of heroin, 22 pounds of methamphetamine, and 50 pounds of cocaine, worth an estimated $1.6 million.

In one instance on Saturday, October 24 at about 10 a.m. at the Otay Mesa port of entry, officers roving through the vehicles waiting in line to enter the United States noticed discrepancies with the appearance of a gold 1998 Nissan pathfinder, particularly at the rear of the vehicle, and pulled the vehicle and driver out of line for further inspection. When officers screened the vehicle with a narcotic detector dog, they received an alert to the same area of the vehicle, at the rear differential.

Officers discovered four packages in the differential housing, and another four packages in the rear axles. The packages contained three and a half pounds of heroin and slightly less than ten pounds of cocaine. CBP seized the vehicle and narcotics and turned the driver, a 36-year-old Mexican citizen, over to ICE.

Also this weekend, officers stopped 14 persons with warrants for their arrest for crimes including stolen vehicles, parole violations, larceny, fraud, and more. Officers at the San Ysidro port of entry also stopped five vehicles with a total of 13 persons hidden in various areas of the cars, including in the trunk and other compartments, attempting to avoid inspection.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection is the unified border agency within the Department of Homeland Security charged with the management, control and protection of our nation's borders at and between the official ports of entry. CBP is charged with keeping terrorists and terrorist weapons out of the country while enforcing hundreds of U.S. laws.

Contacts For This News Release
Jackie Dizdul
CBP Public Affairs
Phone: (619) 744-5245 or
(619) 652-9966 Ext: 192 or 145

http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/newsroom/new ... 2009_6.xml