Mexico Trucker Online

One of the things that was constant in the comments submitted to FMCSA in respect to 2855 was the fact that Mexican motor carriers would be bringing more drugs across the border. The fact of the matter is that most seizures made by CBP (Customs and Border Protection) have been pickups, sedans and mini vans, not 18 wheelers. Here are some instances from the CBP Public Affairs Office

• Memorial Day Weekend - The largest seizure occurred in Las Cruces, N.M. on Sunday at the Interstate 25 Border Patrol checkpoint. Border Patrol agents stopped a northbound 1999 Dodge Van for routine inspection. While the agents were checking the immigration documents of the driver, a CBP canine alerted to the vehicle. After a closer inspection of the van agents discovered a hidden compartment in the floor of the vehicle. Agents seized 719 bundles of marijuana hidden within the compartment. The marijuana valued at $587,440, weighed at 734.3 pounds. The driver, a 46 year-old Mexican male, was arrested.
• Santa Teresa, N.M., Border Patrol agents intercepted a 1988 Nissan pickup leaving a remote area where there had been previous activity. Agents following the pickup saw weeds and brush on the undercarriage of the vehicle and stopped the vehicle. Agents seized 476 bundles of marijuana weighing 562.7 pounds in the bed of the truck and arrested the 21 year-old Mexican male driver. The marijuana is worth $450,144.
• ucson, Ariz. — U.S. Customs and Border Protection Border Patrol agents from the Ajo Border Patrol recovered a stolen vehicle and seized 1,203 pounds of marijuana on the Tohono O’odham Indian Reservation near Pia Oik, Ariz., last night.

   

  On May 22, Border Patrol Agents acting on an intelligence report conducted an extensive search for a vehicle containing narcotics in the Pia Oik area. This search revealed a Chevy Avalanche parked in a remote area, concealed with a green tarp. The agents discovered numerous bundles packaged in cellophane and tape, containing marijuana. Registration checks on the vehicle determined the Chevy had been reported stolen out of San Diego.

   

  The vehicle was turned over to the Tohono O’odham Police Department and the marijuana will be turned over to Drug Enforcement Administration.

   

  The 1,203 pounds of marijuana was valued at approximately $962,400. As of April 30, the Tucson Sector has seized over 566,700 pounds of marijuana for this fiscal year. This is a 42 percent increase for the same time period last year.

• Nogales, Ariz. – In back-to-back seizures at the commercial import facility in Nogales, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers seized almost 500 pounds of cocaine. A short time later, officers at the Dennis DeConcini port of entry seized 30 pounds of methamphetamines.

   

  Just before 4 p.m. yesterday, CBP officers processing commercial vehicles entering the United States at the port of entry in Nogales stopped a 37-year-old Mexican citizen from Nogales, Sonora as he was driving a truck filled with peppers into the country. The driver and vehicle were sent for a thorough inspection after noting discrepancies with the paperwork.

   

  The vehicle was scanned using an X-ray system, revealing anomalies in the gas tank. A drug dog was called in to help with the inspection and after “Robbie” alerted to narcotic odor, CBP officers discovered a compartment filled with packages of cocaine. The driver was arrested and the cocaine, almost 246 pounds, was seized, along with the vehicle and trailer.

   

  Shortly after the first truck was sent in for an inspection, at around 5 p.m., CBP officers selected another truck filled with peppers for an inspection. The officers called in a different drug dog, “Duco” to help screen the vehicle. When the dog alerted to narcotic odor, the officers searched the vehicle, discovering a compartment in the gas tank containing packages of cocaine. The driver, a 23-year-old Mexican citizen from Sinaloa, was also arrested and the drugs, 245 pounds, were seized along with the vehicle and trailer.

   

  Later that evening, at around 8 p.m., CBP officers at the Dennis DeConcini port of entry stopped a 27-year-old U.S. citizen from Phoenix who was crossing the border while driving a 1998 Ford F150. During inspection, officers discovered compartments built into the sidewalls of the vehicle that contained several large bags filled with methamphetamines. The driver was arrested and the drugs, 30 pounds, were seized along with the vehicle.

   

  Estimated street value of the cocaine is approximately $8.1 million; the methamphetamine is estimated to be worth $821,000.

   

  Since the beginning of the fiscal year, CBP officers at the Nogales port of entry have stopped 62 cocaine-smuggling attempts, seizing 1,640 pounds of the illicit drug. The officers have stopped 31 methamphetamine-smuggling attempts, seizing 393 pounds of the illicit drug. Total estimated street value of the cocaine and methamphetamine seized at the port of entry is in excess of $38 million. Two 18-Wheelers so far and with the record of seizures, it shows the CBP is doing their job!

• Yuma, Ariz. — U.S. Customs and Border Protection Border Patrol agents assigned to the Yuma sector seized more than a half ton of marijuana Monday.

   

  At 6:45 p.m., an agent assigned to the Yuma Border Patrol station spotted three vehicles driving west through the Barry M. Goldwater bombing range. The vehicles passed the agent’s vehicle, and when the agent turned around to intercept the vehicles they began heading south toward the border.

   

  The agent called for support and continued following the vehicles. One of the vehicles, a black Chevrolet pickup, stopped just north of the border and the driver and two passengers fled into Mexico on foot. The other two vehicles absconded into Mexico by driving around the end of a string of anti-vehicular bollards.

   

  During a search of the abandoned vehicle, the agent discovered the cab and bed of the truck contained 79 plastic-wrapped bundles of marijuana weighing about 1,200 pounds and having an estimated value of $972,000.

   

  The Mexican authorities were contacted regarding the two vehicles that escaped into Mexico.

   

  The vehicle, which was reported stolen, and the drugs were turned over to the Drug Enforcement Administration.

• Sarita, Texas — U.S. Customs and Border Protection Border Patrol agents seized more than half a million dollars in cocaine at the Sarita Border Patrol checkpoint last Friday.

  The seizure occurred on May 18, when Border Patrol agents assigned to the Sarita Border Patrol checkpoint on Highway 77 south of Kingsville, Texas, questioned the driver and two passengers of a Honda Accord as to their citizenship. While determining their citizenship, a CBP Border Patrol canine alerted positively to the presence of concealed humans or drugs within the vehicle while performing a free air sniff of the exterior.

  The driver was directed to the secondary inspection area where a search of the vehicle led to the discovery of eight bundles of a white powdery substance, which later tested positive for cocaine, hidden in a non-factory compartment under the back seat area. The total weight of the cocaine was 20.4 pounds with an estimated value of $652,800. The driver, a 33-year-old U.S. citizen from Florida was arrested along with the other occupants.

  The subjects, cocaine, and vehicle were turned over to the Drug Enforcement Administration pending investigation.

  Texas National Guard personnel assigned to the Rio Grande Valley Sector in support of Operation Jumpstart assisted the Kingsville Border Patrol Agents by disassembling and unloading the vehicle.

• Tucson, Ariz. — U.S. Customs and Border Protection Border Patrol agents from the Casa Grande Border Patrol station seized 648 pounds of marijuana while working desert patrol in San Miguel, Ariz. on the Tohono O’odham Indian Reservation, early this morning.

  A Border Patrol agent today observed a group of drug smugglers crossing the border near San Miguel, Ariz. The agent tracked the group and discovered 24 bundles of marijuana weighing 648 pounds, valued at $518,720. An extensive search of the area proved negative for any suspects.

  The marijuana was remanded to the custody of the Drug Enforcement Administration.

• Tucson, Ariz. – U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at Arizona ports of entry stopped nine attempts at smuggling illicit drugs into the United States, arresting 10 people in connection with the attempts this past weekend. CBP seized almost 147 pounds of cocaine in five incidents and 393 pounds of marijuana in another four incidents.

   

  Estimated street value of the narcotics is $3.1 million.

   

  The seizures began early Friday morning when CBP officers at the San Luis port of entry arrested a 26-year-old U.S. citizen living in Mexico when they discovered 71 pounds of marijuana hidden inside the Chevy pickup he was driving.

   

  At around 1:15 p.m., CBP officers in Lukeville arrested a 27-year-old Mexican citizen after discovering 71 pounds of cocaine hidden in the 2006 Chrysler Cirrus the man was driving.

   

  Almost simultaneously, officers at the Douglas port of entry arrested a 41-year-old Mexican citizen after finding 232 pounds of marijuana hidden in a Buick Park Avenue the man was driving.

   

  The next day, May 19, the seizures continued with an incident at the Mariposa port of entry in Nogales shortly before 10 a.m. Officers arrested a 24-year-old Mexican citizen after discovering almost 47 pounds of cocaine hidden inside a 1994 Plymouth Voyager the man was driving.

   

  Shortly before 1 p.m. the same day, CBP officers at the Douglas port of entry arrested a 20-year-old Mexican citizen after finding 84 pounds of marijuana hidden inside a Chevy Malibu he was driving.

   

  At around 2:30 that afternoon, CBP officers at the Dennis DeConcini port of entry in Nogales arrested a 19-year-old Mexican citizen and an 18-year-old US citizen after finding 24 pounds of cocaine hidden inside a 1998 Chevy van the two men were in.

   

  At around 4:15 p.m. CBP officers screening pedestrians entering the US at the DeConcini port of entry in Nogales arrested a 16-year-old Mexican citizen after finding more than two pounds of cocaine strapped to the boy’s body. Within minutes, they arrested a 15-year-old boy from Mexico after finding more than two pounds of cocaine strapped to his body.

   

  In addition to the narcotics, CBP officers apprehended nine fugitives and recovered a stolen backhoe being exported to Mexico. CBP agriculture specialists stopped seven attempts at smuggling prohibited agricultural items into the United States

• Yuma, Ariz. — U.S. Customs and Border Protection Border Patrol agents assigned to the Yuma Sector seized nearly 1,000 pounds of marijuana during a smuggling attempt Thursday.

   

  At 10 p.m. remote video surveillance system camera operators working in the Yuma sector communications center alerted agents that several individuals were removing rock located along the Colorado River Levee. While agents were responding to the area, camera operators observed three individuals walk to the base of a camera pole in the area. Immediately after, the cameras went dead.

   

  A National Guard Entry Identification Team notified agents that a vehicle was spotted moving eastbound from the river, and the agents moved to intercept the vehicle. The vehicle turned around and attempted to return to Mexico via the same route it entered, but the driver was unable to locate the area from which the rock was removed. As agents approached, the vehicle’s driver and passengers fled on foot across the river and into Mexico.

   

  A search of the vehicle revealed 42 bundles of marijuana worth an estimated $792,000. The vehicle and drugs were turned over to Drug Enforcement Administration officials.

   

  A check of the camera pole revealed the individuals had tampered with the system, rendering it inoperable. It was repaired immediately and placed back in service.

• Calexico, Calif. – U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers conducting border security operations at the downtown Calexico port of entry made a narcotic seizure Tuesday night worth almost $860,000, officials announced today.

  At about 9:30 p.m., May 15, CBP officers discovered 29 packages of marijuana in the gas-tank of a 1998 commercial bus after it entered the United States from Mexico. The driver, a 49-year old Tijuana man, was ordered to the secondary inspection area for a more in-depth inspection. There were no passengers on the bus.

  During secondary inspection, officers utilized a narcotic detector dog that alerted to the odor of narcotics coming from within the bus. Officers subsequently extracted the 285 pounds of marijuana from the gas-tank. The vehicle and marijuana were seized by CBP officers.

  The driver was arrested for the foiled smuggling attempt.

  Last week, CBP made a significant cocaine seizure at the Calexico East border station when officers ordered the 24-year old driver of a 2006 Pontiac to the secondary area for a more in-depth inspection. Officers then utilized a narcotic detector dog that alerted to the vehicle. Officers subsequently discovered a non-factory compartment underneath the rear seat of the vehicle that contained 86 wrapped packages of cocaine weighing 216 pounds and worth more than $2.1 million.

• San Luis, Ariz. — U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at the San Luis port of entry seized $1 million in cocaine Monday morning, arresting a Mexican citizen in connection with the failed smuggling attempt.

   

  At around 5:15 a.m., CBP officers screening vehicles and drivers entering the United States at the port of entry selected a 1997 Dodge Stratus and the driver, a 39-year-old man from San Luis Rio Colorado, Sonora for further inspection based on discrepancies in the vehicle discovered during initial inspection.

   

  The vehicle was sent into the inspection area where additional CBP officers looking through the vehicle discovered a compartment built into the trunk. Upon opening the compartment, the officers found packages of what was later determined to be cocaine hidden inside.

   

  The officers removed a total of 20 packages, weighing 54 pounds, from the compartment. The narcotics and vehicle were seized for evidence and the driver, a Mexican citizen, was arrested and turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement special agents.

   

  Estimate street value of the cocaine is around $1 million.

   

  Since the beginning of the current fiscal year, which beg

• San Diego – U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers conducting border security operations at the San Diego and Imperial Valley ports of entry made three significant narcotic seizures worth almost $34 million, officials announced today.

   

  “Seizures such as these are a benefit of the heightened security on the border and illustrate our close working relationship with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement,” said Adele Fasano, CBP director of field operations for San Diego and Imperial counties.

   

  A large narcotics seizure at the San Ysidro crossing occurred on Sunday, May 13 at about 5 a.m. when CBP officers discovered 203 packages of marijuana weighing 1,196 pounds in the floor compartment of a 1994 commercial bus. The driver, a 47-year-old man from Mexico City, was arrested and transported to the Metropolitan Correctional Center to await arraignment on federal drug smuggling charges.

   

  The bus and marijuana were both seized by CBP. The seized marijuana is valued at about $3.6 million.

  A significant cocaine seizure occurred on Friday, May 11 at 1 p.m. at the Calexico East border station after officers ordered the 24-year old male driver of a 2006 Pontiac to the secondary area for a more in-depth inspection.

   

  Officers utilized a narcotic detector dog that alerted to the vehicle during the intensive examination. Officers subsequently discovered a non-factory compartment underneath the rear seat of the vehicle that contained 86 wrapped packages of cocaine weighing over 216 pounds and worth more than $2.1 million.

   

  Special agents of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested the driver, a U.S. citizen who resides in Calexico, for the failed smuggling attempt.

   

  CBP officers at the Otay Mesa cargo port of entry also worked closely with ICE special agents who investigated the smuggling attempt of almost 9,400 pounds of marijuana worth over $28 million. The marijuana was hidden within a front wall compartment in the trailer of a cargo truck that entered the port hauling a load of plastic scrap.

   

  ICE agents investigating the case arrested four individuals in Chula Vista last week, and discovered a loaded handgun in a vehicle being driven by one of the suspects. CBP officers seized the cargo truck and 790 wrapped packages of marijuana weighing 9,398 pounds. The case remains under investigation.

• Sarita, Texas — U.S. Customs and Border Protection Border Patrol agents seized nearly half a million dollars in cocaine at the Sarita Border Patrol checkpoint last Friday.

   

  The seizure occurred on May 11, when Border Patrol agents assigned to the Sarita Border Patrol Checkpoint on Highway 77 south of Kingsville, Texas, questioned the driver of a sedan as to his citizenship. While determining the driver’s citizenship, a Border Patrol canine alerted positively to the presence of concealed humans or drugs within the vehicle while performing a free air sniff of the exterior.

   

  The driver was directed to the secondary inspection area where a search of the vehicle led to the discovery of five bundles of a white powdery substance, which later tested positive for cocaine, hidden within the dashboard.

  The total weight of the cocaine was 13.6 pounds with an estimated value of $435,200. The driver, a thirty-three year old U.S. citizen from Corpus Christi, Texas was arrested.

   

  The driver, cocaine, and vehicle were turned over to the Drug Enforcement Administration pending investigation.

• Yuma, Ariz. — U.S. Customs and Border Protection Border Patrol agents assigned to Yuma, Ariz. seized 1,500 pounds of marijuana worth an estimated $1.2 million during a border incursion Sunday.

   

  Ground surveillance radar located at Marine Corps Air Station-Yuma alerted Border Patrol agents that two vehicles had driven across the international border east of San Luis, Ariz.

   

  As agents closed in on a white Ford F-150 pickup and a black Humvee, the drivers turned back toward the international border. The Humvee evaded the agents and proceeded into Mexico by driving around the end of a string of anti-vehicular bollards. The Ford pickup stopped near Avenue 7E at the border and the vehicle’s occupants fled into Mexico on foot.

   

  Agents searched the pickup and discovered 384 plastic-wrapped bundles of marijuana concealed in the vehicle’s bed. Records checks on the vehicle’s license plate revealed that it was a rental vehicle and that it had been reported stolen.

   

  Drug Enforcement Administration officials were notified and took possession of the vehicle and drugs.

   

  A later search along the border revealed the vehicles entered the United States by cutting and removing an anti-vehicle bollard. Agents working near the area are monitoring the damaged bollard until it can be repaired.

• Tucson, Ariz – Three significant attempts at smuggling illicit drugs into the U.S. were stopped and nearly three tons of marijuana were kept off the streets of our cities by U.S. Customs and Border Protection o fficers at the Nogales and Lukeville ports of entry Tuesday afternoon.

  The seizures began shortly after noon at the Lukeville port of entry when CBP officers screening visitors and returning U.S. residents for terrorism connections, contraband, immigration violations, prohibited agricultural items, and trade violations encountered a 58-year-old US citizen from Phoenix who was driving a 1999 Ford F350 pulling a 5th-wheel trailer in from Mexico. Officers questioned the man about the vehicle and trailer and became suspicious of his answers. The officers then performed a thorough inspection of the vehicle and trailer and discovered a compartment built into the trailer floor that contained 1,247 lbs of marijuana. The driver was immediately arrested and the marijuana, truck and trailer were seized.

  At around 2 p.m. Tuesday , CBP officers screening commercial vehicles entering the country for terrorism connections, components of WMD, and contraband at the Nogales port of entry commercial facility chose a 2002 International tractor with a refrigerated trailer filled with squash for further inspection. The vehicle was sent into the commercial import compound for the inspection and, following an alert by a CBP narcotics detector dog, was scanned utilizing a mobile truck X -ray. The X -ray images showed anomalies so the contents of the trailer were removed, revealing 175 bales of marijuana, weighing 3,864 pounds.

  A short time later, at around 3:30 pm, CBP officers at the commercial facility in Nogales stopped a GMC bobtail truck with computer parts and sent it in for an inspection using the x-ray system. Once again, the officers noticed anomalies with the contents of the trailer and during an intensive inspection, discovered an additional 639 pounds of marijuana hidden inside boxes.

  Estimated street value of the marijuana is in excess of $9 million.

• San Ysidro, Calif. – U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers conducting border security operations at the San Ysidro port of entry arrested a Tijuana man after they found almost 118 pounds of marijuana concealed within rolls of plastic wrap in the trunk of the vehicle he was driving, officials announced today.

  On Friday morning, May 4, at about 11 a.m., CBP officers encountered the 23-year old driver of a 1998 Chrysler Concord, as he entered the United States and waited for inspection.

  Anti-Terrorism Contraband Enforcement Team members conducting roving operations targeted the Concord and driver for a more in-depth inspection and escorted him into the secondary area.

  During the secondary inspection, a narcotic detector dog alerted to the trunk of the vehicle. Officers opened the trunk and discovered four rolls of plastic wrap that, when cut open, revealed a green-leafy substance that field-tested positive for marijuana.

  Street value of the 118 pounds of marijuana is valued at about $353,000.

  The driver, a citizen of Mexico, was arrested and transported to the San Diego County jail to await arraignment for the alleged smuggling attempt. The vehicle and narcotics were seized by CBP.

• El Paso, Texas — U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers working at the El Paso port of entry seized 90 pounds of cocaine this week in three separate seizures. They also seized 2,835 pounds of marijuana in 29 busts, a small quantity of methamphetamine in two seizures, and Ketamine and other prescription drugs in two additional busts during the last seven days.

   

  The largest cocaine seizure of the week occurred Monday at the Paso Del Norte crossing in downtown El Paso when CBP officers discovered 36.7 pounds of the drug concealed in a 1999 Pontiac Montana minivan. CBP officers removed a total of 15 cocaine-filled bundles from a pair of hidden compartments in the vehicle. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement special agents arrested the driver, 32-year-old Luz E. Moreno of Las Cruces, New Mexico in connection with the failed smuggling attempt.

   

  CBP officers at the Ysleta port of entry in El Paso discovered 28 pounds of cocaine on Monday as well. CBP officers removed a total of 12 cocaine-filled bundles from a dashboard compartment of a 1995 Buick LeSabre that entered the port from Mexico. ICE special agents arrested the driver, 51-year-old Javier Gonzalez Lopez of El Paso, Texas in connection with the failed smuggling attempt.

   

  The third cocaine seizure of the week occurred last Friday at the Ysleta crossing when CBP officers discovered 25.7 pounds of the drug concealed in a 1996 Geo Tracker. CBP officers removed a total of 20 cocaine-filled bundles from the rocker panels of the vehicle. ICE special agents arrested the driver, 43-year-old Marcos Abelardo Ramos Castillo of Juarez, Mexico in connection with the failed smuggling attempt.

   

  In addition to the drug seizures, CBP officers working at the border ports of entry in El Paso, West Texas and New Mexico recorded 129 immigration violations during the last seven days. During the week, CBP officers identified a total of 53 imposters (people using a legitimate document not assigned to the person) 27 intended immigrant cases (people with legitimate entry documents intending to live/work illegally in the U.S.), 19 false claims for U.S. citizenship by non U.S. citizens, 21 people attempting to enter the U.S. with counterfeit, fraudulent or altered entry documents, and nine people attempting to enter without inspection.

   

  Area CBP officers made 12 additional agricultural seizures during the week, resulting in $2,725 in penalties being assessed. First time violators face penalties of up to $300. Prohibited items seized this week included raw pork, ham, avocados, apples, mangos, guavas, plums, pears and live plants. Dozens of other prohibited agricultural items were abandoned at border ports during the inspection process. The interception of these prohibited items are important in preventing the introduction of pests and disease that pose a risk to the U.S. agriculture industry.

   

  CBP officers this week also seized nine live chickens, one rooster, and 20 pairs of sunglasses that violated trademark laws, undeclared ammunition, and assessed $4,700 in penalties for nine export violations. Anti-terrorism remains the primary mission of CBP. The intensive inspection process associated with the anti-terror mission continues to yield impressive enforcement numbers in all categories.

• Yuma, Ariz. — U.S. Customs and Border Protection Border Patrol agents assigned to the Yuma Sector seized nearly 700 pounds of marijuana with an estimated value of $557,000 Wednesday during a narcotics smuggling attempt about a half mile from the international border.

   

  Agents spotted two vehicles, a 1993 Jeep Grand Cherokee and an older Ford sedan, stuck in the dirt at County 15th Street, between the Colorado River and the Arizona Levee west of Yuma about 9 p.m.

  When agents approached, five individuals abandoned the vehicles and fled into Mexico.

   

  Upon closer inspection of the vehicles, agents noticed that the roof, windows and window panels were cut from the sedan, enabling the smugglers to circumvent anti-vehicle measures by driving the vehicle under security gates on the Salinity Canal. Seizing the vehicle marks a significant success for agents, who have been looking for the specially modified vehicle.

   

  “Our success through Operation Jump Start is having an impact on smugglers’ ability to continue their criminal activities,” said Yuma Sector’s Acting Chief Patrol Agent Jeff Calhoon. “As we continue to increase our manpower, in addition to adding tactical infrastructure and leveraging new technology, our efforts will further impede criminal activities in the area making Yuma and its border areas safer for everybody.”

   

  The vehicles and drugs were turned over to the Drug Enforcement Administration for further investigation.

   

  During the first half of fiscal year 2007, Yuma Sector agents have seized more than 22,000 pounds of marijuana valued at an estimated $17.7 million.

• Laredo, Texas – U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at the Laredo port of entry recently seized more than a quarter-million dollars in heroin found hidden in sandals belonging to a bus passenger.

   

  The heroin seizure occurred on April 30 at Lincoln-Juarez Bridge in Laredo. CBP Agriculture Technicians and Agriculture Specialists were performing routine X-ray examinations of bus passenger luggage when they encountered an anomaly in a box of sandals belonging to Nicolasa Najera, 49, a resident alien from Sanford, N.C.

   

  A CBP detector dog also alerted to the odor of narcotics emanating from the box. Upon further examination, CBP officers discovered a total of 2.87 pounds of heroin hidden in the soles of five pairs of sandals. The heroin has an estimated street value of $287,000. CBP Officers arrested Najera on federal drug charges and turned her over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Special Agents who investigated the seizure.

   

  “This seizure exemplified the effort drug smuggling organizations would go through to smuggle their product, and the outstanding coordination between CBP agriculture specialists and technicians, canine enforcement officers and CBP officers to identify and take down this load,” said Gene Garza, CBP Port Director, Laredo, Port of Entry

• Tucson, Ariz. — A 22-year-old man from Phoenix is now in custody after U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at the Lukeville, Ariz. port of entry thwarted an attempt to smuggle almost $2 million in marijuana into the country hidden inside a false wall of a trailer. Three others are in custody after being arrested in connection to failed heroin, cocaine and methamphetamine smuggling attempts at the Nogales port of entry.

  CBP officers working at the Lukeville port of entry Saturday afternoon were screening visitors and U.S. residents coming into the country when they stopped a 2002 Chevy Silverado pickup towing a trailer with all-terrain vehicles inside. While questioning the driver they became suspicious of his answers to routine questions and decided further inspection was warranted.

  Officers inspecting the trailer noticed discrepancies, so the ATVs were removed and the inside of the trailer was checked thoroughly. The officers discovered a compartment built into the front of the trailer that, when opened, they found to be filled with marijuana. A total of 59 bundles, weighing 1,236 pounds, were removed and secured. The truck, trailer, all-terrain vehicles and marijuana were all seized. The driver was arrested and turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement special agents. Estimated street value of the marijuana is $2 million.

  The same day, CBP officers at the Nogales port of entry seized almost $1 million in heroin, cocaine and methamphetamines.

  At around 9:30 on Saturday morning, CBP officers at the DeConcini port of entry in Nogales arrested a 24-year-old citizen of Mexico after finding 21 pounds of cocaine, worth an estimated $354,000, after finding it hidden inside the floor of a 1992 Toyota pickup the man was driving.

  Right before 12:30 pm on the same day, CBP officers working at the Morley pedestrian gate in Nogales arrested a 45-year-old citizen of Mexico after finding more than 2 pounds of heroin, estimated at $123,000, inside his shoes.

  Later that evening, at around 8 p.m., CBP officers working at the Mariposa port of entry in Nogales arrested a 43-year-old citizen of Mexico after finding almost 18 pounds of methamphetamines, estimated at $480,000, hidden inside the gas tank of a Ford Expedition the woman was driving

There you have it folks! The stats along the border for May. Notice that of all the seizures, the majority was people in cars. Only 4 or 5 big trucks and they didn’t have a chance. Don’t know why they tried and two buses.