Friday, 18 January 2008
Frequent Traveler Arrested by CBP for Alleged Smuggling Attempt

Otay Mesa, CA, Wednesday, January 16, 2008 – A 41 year-old Las Vegas woman registered to participate in the SENTRI program was arrested Tuesday afternoon by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Officers at the Otay Mesa port of entry after they found an undocumented migrant hidden in the vehicle she was driving, officials announced today.

The driver, a Mexican citizen with lawful permanent residence in the United States, entered the United States in a Mexican plated 2005 Chrysler 300C through a designated SENTRI lane at about 12:30 p.m. Upon inspection of the vehicle, the CBP officer discovered a man concealed under a blanket in the trunk of the vehicle. The vehicle and occupants were escorted to the secondary area for further case processing.

Upon inspection of the vehicle, the CBP officer discovered a man concealed under a blanket in the trunk.

During the secondary inspection, officers confirmed that the undocumented migrant was a 36-year old male Mexican citizen. He was taken into CBP custody for processing and will be a material witness in the case.

The driver was arrested and charged with alien smuggling. She was transported and booked into the Metropolitan Correctional Center to await arraignment in federal district court. Her SENTRI privileges have been revoked. The vehicle was seized by CBP.

The SENTRI program, or Secure Electronic Network for Travelers Rapid Inspection, was implemented at the Otay Mesa passenger port in 1995 and at the San Ysidro facility in 2000. Almost 95,000 travelers from the San Diego/Tijuana area are currently registered in the vehicle SENTRI program.
http://www.borderfirereport.net/latest/ ... tempt.html