C.B.P. News Release

CBP Seizes $3.26 Million Worth of Narcotics, Apprehends 23 Fugitives, and Intercepts Scores of Immigration Violations

(Tuesday, September 08, 2009)

San Diego — U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at ports of entry along the California/ Mexico border seized 1,360 pounds of narcotics valued at $3.26 million, captured 23 fugitives, and stopped the illegal entry of 570 persons over the busy Labor Day weekend.

CBP officers seized marijuana, cocaine, methamphetamine, and heroin in 23 separate incidents from 6 a.m. on Friday through 6 a.m. on Tuesday.

The largest seizure occurred on Saturday, September 5, at about 1:30 a.m., at the Calexico downtown port, when an officer conducting primary inspections escorted a white 1998 Dodge Ram pick-up truck to the secondary inspection area after he detected anomalies to the vehicle’s spare tire. The vehicle was occupied by two male U.S. citizens, ages 21 and 28.

An intense secondary inspection and canine alert led officers to the discovery of 42 wrapped packages of marijuana concealed inside the spare tire, gas tank, and front passenger seat of the vehicle, weighing 183 pounds.

On Sunday, September 6, at about 9 a.m. at the Andrade port of entry, a detector dog alerted officers to a 1996 Lincoln Town and Country driven by a 30-year-old male Mexican citizen as he waited in line for inspection. During the secondary examination, X-ray equipment led officers to the discovery of four wrapped packages of methamphetamine concealed inside the vehicle’s four doors. The narcotics weighed 33 pounds.

A significant seizure occurred at the Otay Mesa passenger port of entry on Friday, September 4, at about 11 a.m. when CBP officers arrested an 18-year-old SENTRI participant after they discovered 163 pounds of marijuana in the 1999 Jeep Cherokee she was driving. Officers referred her and the vehicle to the secondary area for an X-ray screening.

On Saturday at 5:40 a.m. at the San Ysidro border station, an officer referred a 2002 Chrysler Sebring and the driver, a 19-year-old male U.S. citizen and resident of Chula Vista, for a more in-depth inspection. An X-ray scan alerted officers to five packages of heroin weighing almost 12 pounds and 10 packages of cocaine weighing 26 pounds from both rear doors of the vehicle.

On Monday, September 7, at the Tecate port of entry, a detector dog alerted officers to a GMC Jimmy as it entered the port at 9:45 a.m., driven by a 19-year-old woman from Tecate, Mexico. Officers ran the vehicle through the port’s imaging system revealing 16 packages of marijuana hidden within the tires, weighing 109 pounds.

Also over the Labor Day holiday, CBP officers stopped four cars with persons hidden in the trunk to avoid detection and inspection, and another five cars with persons concealed in other spaces in the vehicle; none of the 24 hidden persons had the necessary legal documents to enter the United States.

In one incident, officers stopped a convertible with a person hidden in the roof-storage compartment. At about 5:30 p.m. Saturday, a 22-year-old male U.S. citizen and resident of Palo Alto, Calif., tried to enter the United States at the San Ysidro port of entry. The CBP officer inspecting the 2008 Chrysler Sebring spotted a person hidden underneath the retracted convertible roof.

Officers were able to force the top open, and remove an adult male Mexican citizen from underneath. The concealed person will be a material witness for the prosecution. The driver is currently at the Metropolitan Correctional Center pending federal human trafficking charges.

CBP officers stopped a total of 570 persons illegally attempting to enter the country, using a variety of methods, including using passports and other documents that did not belong to them, counterfeit documents, and attempting to avoid the inspection process altogether.

Also this weekend, CBP officers along the California/Mexico border stopped 23 persons with outstanding warrants for their arrest. The fugitives were wanted for crimes related to dangerous drugs, sexual assault, parole and probation violations, driving without a license and driving under the influence, and other illegal activity.

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
Angelica De Cima
CBP Public Affairs
Phone: (619) 652-9966 Ext: 191
Fax: (619) 645-6641

http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/newsroom/new ... 2009_7.xml