USBP Weekly Blotter: December 24 - December 30

(12/30/2009)Border Patrol agents seized over 29,657 pounds of marijuana and 50.4 pounds of cocaine. Agents arrested 2 criminal aliens and 14 gang members. There were 4 rocking incidents.

*This overview is compiled from incidents reported to Office of Border Patrol and is not intended to reflect all Border Patrol enforcement actions. Most arrests and seizures fail to meet the requirements for mandatory reporting to Border Patrol Headquarters.

Reported on December 24, 2009

Del Rio Sector – Border Patrol agents arrested a United States Citizen (USC) and seized 17 pounds of marijuana near Carrizo Springs, Texas. Records checks revealed the subject was a Mexican Mafia gang member.


Laredo Sector – Border Patrol agents seized 6,255 pounds of marijuana from a travel trailer and arrested an illegal alien from Mexico near Zapata, Texas. A Border Patrol canine alerted to the trailer and a search revealed 284 bundles of marijuana.


Rio Grande Valley Sector – Border Patrol agents seized 2,417 pounds of marijuana, a tractor-trailer, and arrested a national of Mexico at the traffic checkpoint near Falfurrias, Texas. The subject presented himself for inspection, and a Border Patrol canine alerted to the conveyance. A Z Backscatter X-ray scan of the trailer revealed 198 bundles of marijuana commingled with a load of tomatoes.


Rio Grande Valley Sector – Border Patrol agents seized 1,140 pounds of marijuana, 50.4 pounds of cocaine, a tractor and tanker trailer, and arrested a USC at the traffic checkpoint near Sarita, Texas. The subject presented himself for inspection and a Border Patrol canine alerted to the tanker. A Z Backscatter X-ray scan revealed the narcotics inside the tanker.


Rio Grande Valley Sector – Border Patrol agents seized 2,421 pounds of marijuana, a 1995 Kenworth tractor-trailer, and arrested a national of Mexico at the traffic checkpoint near Sarita, Texas. The subject presented himself for inspection and a Border Patrol canine alerted to the trailer. A search revealed 108 bundles of marijuana inside the trailer.


Reported on December 25, 2009


El Centro Sector – Border Patrol agents arrested two illegal aliens from Mexico near Plaster City, California. During processing, both subjects admitted to being Sureño gang members and records checks revealed one had been previously removed from the United States.


Laredo Sector – Border Patrol agents arrested an illegal alien from El Salvador near Cotulla, Texas. During processing, the subject admitted to being a Mara Salvatrucha 13 (MS-13) gang member, and records checks revealed he had been previously removed from the United States.


Rio Grande Valley Sector – Border Patrol agents seized 7,173 pounds of marijuana, a tractor-trailer, and arrested a USC at the traffic checkpoint near Falfurrias, Texas. A Border Patrol canine alerted to the tractor-trailer during primary inspection. A local hazardous materials response unit responded and extracted the narcotics from the stainless steel tanker trailer.


Rio Grande Valley Sector – Border Patrol agents seized 1,253 pounds of marijuana near Salineno, Texas. Agents were informed of the narcotics and responded to the area, discovering 184 bricks of marijuana abandoned behind a travel trailer.


Reported on December 26, 2009


Del Rio Sector – Border Patrol agents arrested an illegal alien from Mexico near Eagle Pass, Texas. Records checks revealed the subject was a Latin Kings gang member and had been previously removed from the United States.


Marfa Sector – Border Patrol agents seized a small amount of marijuana, 10 firearms, a 1996 Pontiac, and arrested two USCs at the traffic checkpoint near Sierra Blanca, Texas. Both subjects presented themselves for inspection and a Border Patrol canine alerted to the vehicle.


Rio Grande Valley Sector – Border Patrol agents seized 2,386 pounds of marijuana, a tractor-trailer, and arrested a national of Canada at the traffic checkpoint near Falfurrias, Texas. The subject presented himself for inspection and a Border Patrol canine alerted to the trailer. A search revealed 55 bundles within a load of vegetables.


Rio Grande Valley Sector – Border Patrol agents seized 3,249 pounds of marijuana, a small amount of cocaine, a tractor-trailer, and arrested a USC at the traffic checkpoint near Falfurrias, Texas. The subject presented himself for inspection and a Border Patrol canine alerted to the conveyance. A search revealed 136 bundles of marijuana concealed behind six pallets of twine and a small amount of cocaine.


Tucson Sector – Border Patrol agents arrested an illegal alien from El Salvador near Douglas, Arizona. During processing, the subject admitted to being an MS-13 gang member, and records checks revealed he had been previously removed from the United States.


Reported on December 27, 2009


El Paso Sector – Border Patrol agents arrested an illegal alien from Mexico near El Paso, Texas. During processing, the subject admitted to being a Los Paisas gang member, and records checks revealed he had been previously removed from the United States.


El Paso Sector – Border Patrol agents arrested a national of Indonesia at the traffic checkpoint near Las Cruces, New Mexico. The subject falsely claimed to be a citizen of the United States and records checks revealed he was previously ordered removed from the United States after failing to appear for his removal hearing.


Reported on December 28, 2009


El Paso Sector – Border Patrol agents arrested four illegal aliens from Mexico and seized four loaded handguns near Cotton City, New Mexico. An agent observed the subjects in the brush and a subsequent search of the area revealed the subjects and handguns. The subjects admitted to being bandits and stealing rival marijuana loads.


El Paso Sector – Border Patrol agents arrested an illegal alien from Mexico near Socorro, Texas. During processing, the subject admitted to being a Sureño gang member. Records checks revealed he had several prior arrests for possession and distribution of dangerous drugs and had been previously removed from the United States.


Tucson Sector – Border Patrol agents arrested an illegal alien from Mexico near Kohatk, Arizona. During processing, the subject admitted to being a Sureño 13 gang member, and records checks revealed he had been previously removed from the United States.


Tucson Sector – Border Patrol agents seized 367 pounds of marijuana, a 1993 Chevrolet, and arrested a USC at the traffic checkpoint near Amado, Arizona. The subject presented himself for inspection and a Border Patrol canine alerted to the bed of the truck. A Z Backscatter X-ray scan of the truck indicated an anomaly in the bed, and a subsequent search revealed 31 bundles in a hidden compartment.


Reported on December 29, 2009


Del Rio Sector – Border Patrol agents arrested an illegal alien from Mexico near Del Rio, Texas. During processing, the subject admitted to being a member of the Sureño gang. Records checks revealed the subject had been previously removed from the United States.


Tucson Sector – A Border Patrol agent was shot in the ankle by an unidentified assailant near Rio Rico, Arizona. The agent was investigating suspected narcotics smuggling in a remote area when he was shot. The agent was evacuated by helicopter and taken to a local hospital for treatment, where he underwent successful surgery for his injuries.


Reported on December 30, 2009


Rio Grande Valley Sector – Border Patrol agents seized 1,439 pounds of marijuana and a 1997 Chevrolet Silverado near La Casita, Texas. Agents discovered the vehicle abandoned and a search revealed 121 packages of marijuana.


Rio Grande Valley Sector – Border Patrol agents seized 1,513 pounds of marijuana, $1,000 in U.S. currency, a tractor-trailer, and arrested a USC near Rio Grande City, Texas. Agents performed a vehicle stop and the driver of the tractor-trailer consented to a search of the vehicle. The search revealed 114 bundles of marijuana inside cardboard boxes.


Tucson Sector – Border Patrol agents seized nearly two pounds of marijuana, a Colt .22 pistol, a 1999 Nissan Maxima, and arrested a USC at the traffic checkpoint near Huachuca City, Arizona. The subject presented himself for inspection and a Border Patrol canine alerted to the vehicle. A search revealed the narcotics and the pistol.


Tucson Sector – Border Patrol agents arrested an illegal alien from Guatemala near Tucson, Arizona. Records checks revealed the subject had a prior conviction for crimes against a child/rape by instrumentation in the State of Oklahoma and had been previously removed from the United States.


Tucson Sector – Border Patrol agents arrested an illegal alien from El Salvador near Tombstone, Arizona. During processing, the subject admitted to being an MS-13 gang member. Records checks revealed he had a prior conviction for assault and battery by means of a dangerous weapon and had been previously removed from the United States.

http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/border_secur ... 4_1230.xml