CBP Makes 12 Weekend Marijuana Seizures at Area Ports

El Paso, Texas — U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers working at El Paso area ports of entry seized 1,890 pounds of marijuana in a dozen seizures this weekend. The estimated street value of the seized contraband is $1,512,000.

“CBP officers remain vigilant using all their resources to identify and stop illegal activity at area ports of entry,” said Hector Mancha, CBP El Paso Port Director. “The result was that almost one ton of marijuana did not make it to its intended destination.”

The largest seizure of the weekend was made early Friday evening at the Ysleta commercial cargo facility. CBP officers were processing arriving cargo trucks when they selected one for an x-ray exam. CBP officers scanned the vehicle and identified an anomaly in the sleeper portion of the cab. A CBP drug sniffing dog searched the shipment and alerted to the cab. CBP officers continued their exam and located four sealed wooden boxes in the sleeper. They opened the boxes and found 352 marijuana-filled bundles inside. The drugs weighed 384 pounds. No arrests were made and the investigation continues.

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.