# Another border pot bust; drug concealment getting elaborate



## FruityBud (Dec 19, 2007)

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers performing anti-terror inspections at ports of entry in El Paso, West Texas and New Mexico made 38 drug seizures this week, confiscating 4,654 pounds of marijuana in 36 busts and a small amount of cocaine in two additional seizures.

 While many of the drug seizures were consistent with what CBP officers normally see, there were several drug cases where smugglers attempted to conceal their contraband in unusual ways. Concealment methods encountered this week included marijuana packed in jars of jalapenos, encased in holiday candles, hidden in boxes of floor tile, within a transmission transfer case, and in a shipment of furniture. Some of the more common locations where drugs were found in vehicles this week include car seats, quarter panels, bumpers, floor, cargo storage area, trunk, spare tire, roof, fuel tank, truck bed and dashboard. CBP officers also discovered drugs within the pockets and socks of people crossing the border.

&#8220;While most smuggling cases involve concealments that we have consistently encountered over the years, the smugglers are creative and will sometimes try something new to catch us off guard,&#8221; said Gene Garza Jr., acting Director of Field Operations for CBP in El Paso. &#8220;The attention to detail demonstrated by front line CBP officers will uncover these smuggling attempts.&#8221;

An example occurred Thursday afternoon at the Paso Del Norte port of entry. A CBP officer at the primary inspection booth felt that the driver of a 2007 Chrysler PT Cruiser was trying to hide something from him during the initial interview. The CBP officer initiated a search of the vehicle and when he opened the rear hatch bundles of marijuana tumbled out. CBP officers confiscated 256 bundles of marijuana, weighing 269 pounds. Two El Paso women were arrested by ICE in connection with the failed smuggling attempt.

In addition to the drug seizure activity, area CBP officers made a dozen seizures of prohibited food and agricultural items this week. One seizure of undeclared sweet limes resulted in the discovery of two fruit fly larvae, which could potentially harm the U.S. produce industry. Other undeclared items seized this week included pork, chorizo, ham, bologna, avocados, oranges, pears, pomegranates, sugar cane, guavas, lemon grass, and live plants. Violators were fined a total of $2,850 and their products were seized and destroyed. Dozens of other prohibited agricultural and food items were abandoned at the port of entry by border crossers who correctly declared their goods and avoided penalties of up to $300 for first time violations.

CBP officers working at area ports of entry stopped a total of 80 people who were violating U.S. immigration laws while attempting to enter the country. CBP officers identified a total of 32 intended immigrant cases (people with legitimate entry documents intending to live/work illegally in the U.S.), 16 imposters (people using a legitimate document not assigned to the person presenting the document) 15 false claims for U.S. citizenship by non U.S. citizens, seven people attempting to enter the U.S. with counterfeit, fraudulent, or altered entry documents, and 10 people who attempted to enter the U.S. without inspection.

While anti-terrorism is the primary mission of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the inspection process at the ports of entry associated with this mission results in impressive numbers of enforcement actions in all categories.

http://www.azfamily.com/news/homepagetopstory/stories/KTVK_121407_pot-bust-again.171d079a.html


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