PRESIDIO, Texas -- U.S. Customs and Border Protection Office of Field Operations officers working at the Presidio port of entry seized 108 pounds of marijuana Sunday afternoon. The drugs were in a vehicle being driven by a 49-year-old U.S. citizen female.
“CBP officers remain focused and vigilant as they perform their daily duties,” said John Deputy, Presidio Port Director. “A significant number of criminal acts are stopped at the border because of the layers of enforcement employed by us every day.”
Drug bundles in rocker panels
The marijuana seizure was made just before 3 p.m. when a 2001 Nissan Altima entered the port from Mexico. A CBP officer working the secondary lot entry/exit control position noticed the driver appeared to be confused and approached the vehicle. The driver became noticeably nervous upon being questioned by the officer. The officer opened the driver side door and discovered tampering on the door rocker panel. The vehicle was escorted to the Z-Portal x-ray system. A scan of the vehicle showed anomalies in the quarter panels, rocker panels, rear bumper, rear dash panel, and front center console. CBP drug sniffing dog “Edy” searched the sedan and alerted to the presence of drugs.
CBP officers took custody and arrested the driver, 49-year-old Patsy Delgado of Lubbock, Texas. She was turned over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement HSI agents in connection with the failed smuggling attempt.
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.