PRESIDIO, Texas -- U.S. Customs and Border Protection Office of Field Operations officers working at the Presidio port of entry seized 132 pounds of marijuana Friday morning. The drugs were concealed in nine different locations throughout a sport utility vehicle.
“This seizure reminds us a smuggler will use all available places in a vehicle to smuggle narcotics,” said Michael Neipert, CBP Presidio Port Director, “Our officers are trained to do complete inspections in order to discover any and all narcotics possibly concealed within a conveyance.”
The seizure was made just after 8 a.m. May 26 when a female driver applied for entry at the primary inspection station driving a 2004 Nissan X-Terra. The primary officer noted issues in the driver’s travel itinerary and sent the vehicle to secondary for an intensive inspection. In secondary the vehicle was sent for an x-ray exam where anomalies were seen throughout the vehicle. A narcotics detector dog also alerted to the presence of narcotics. A total of 123 bundles were extracted from the vehicle with each bundle containing a green leafy substance. A field test of the substance tested positive for the properties of marijuana.
CBP officers took custody of the driver, a 44-year-old United States citizen. She was arrested and 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.