EL PASO, Texas – U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers working at El Paso ports of entry made five marijuana seizures this weekend totaling 338.53 pounds.
“These are outstanding seizures; the dedication and always vigilant skills on the part of our frontline officers are what make these seizures possible,” said Francis Brown, Acting El Paso CBP Port Director.
The largest of the five seizures was made at the Paso Del Norte international crossing on Saturday at approximately 10:05 p.m. when a 1999 Chevrolet Malibu arrived at the port from Mexico. A CBP officer at the primary inspection booth initiated an exam and selected the vehicle for a secondary exam. CBP officers scanned the vehicle with a Z-Portal x-ray system and spotted anomalies in the front bumper. CBP drug sniffing dog “Ozzy” searched the vehicle and alerted to the front bumper of the vehicle. CBP officers continued their exam and located 75 bundles of marijuana with an approximate weight of 148.70 pounds hidden in the front bumper area.
CBP Officers discover drug load in fender.
CBP officers at the port arrested the driver, 25-year-old Mathew Alexander Solis, of El Paso, Texas. He was turned over to ICE-HSI special agents after the case was accepted for federal prosecution.
In addition to this seizure CBP officers working at ports of entry during the weekend seized 189.83 pounds of marijuana in four other drug busts.
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.