C.B.P. News Release

The Illusion of an Innocent Face at Naco Port of Entry

(Sunday, January 18, 2009)

Naco, Ariz - U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers stopped a drug smuggling attempt when they seized more than 117 pounds of marijuana from a 15-year-old girl.

Yesterday at about 5 p.m., CBP officers at the Naco port of entry were screening travelers and vehicles when they came in contact with a 15-year-old girl driving a Ford Ranger pick-up. The girl was identified as a Mexican national. The CBP officers became suspicious when the girl became nervous. Utilizing several narcotic detection tools, the officers searched the vehicle and discovered non-factory steel collars inside all four tires of the vehicle. The collars contained more than 117 pounds of marijuana with an approximate street value of $187,000.

“It is often asked, 'what a drug smuggler looks like?'â€