800 Pounds of Pot Seized by Customs and
Border Officers
Police and Law Enforcement News
NJLawman.com
Monday, October 22, 2007 5:10 a.m.
 (Official
Customs Press Release) More than 800 pounds of marijuana will not
make it onto the streets of the United States since U.S. Customs and
Border Protection Officers at the Douglas Port of Entry found it
hidden in the walls of a tractor-trailer yesterday morning.
At around 11:00 in the morning, CBP
Officers performing routine screening of commercial vehicles and
drivers entering the United States at the Douglas port of entry
noticed discrepancies in an empty tractor-trailer. To speed up the
inspection process and reduce the amount of time the vehicle and
driver might have had to wait, they chose to perform an inspection
of the trailer using their Vehicle And Container Inspection System (VACIS)
to look at the structure of the vehicle and detect any anomalies.
During the inspection, they noticed something unusual with the
trailer, which prompted them to remove portions of the walls,
revealing 1,130 packages of what proved to be marijuana hidden
inside. The narcotics (803 pounds), tractor, and trailer were all
seized. The driver, a 28-year-old man from Agua Prieta, was arrested
and turned over to agents with Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Estimated street value of the marijuana in Arizona is between
$800,000 and $2.5 million.
This is the largest narcotics seizure
at the Douglas port of entry this fiscal year. Since October 1st of
2006, CBP officers at the port have stopped 55 attempts to smuggle
marijuana into the United States, seizing at total of almost 5000
pounds of marijuana. Estimated street value for the illicit drugs
seized is almost $16 million.
The Vehicle And Container Inspection
System (VACIS) is a sophisticated technological system that allows
Customs and Border Protection officers to see an image of a
vehicle’s structure, looking for hidden compartments and contraband.
The system, similar to an X-Ray, permits them to quickly perform a
more in-depth inspection without having to do anything intrusive to
the vehicle, such as drilling or removing pieces. It is also much
quicker than completely emptying a vehicle or dismantling it to
search for contraband, reducing the amount of time vehicles and
drivers have to wait during an inspection.
The Office of Field Operations is
responsible for operations at the ports of entry. U.S. Customs and
Border Protection Officers’ primary mission is anti-terrorism; they
screen all people, vehicles, and goods entering the United States,
while facilitating the flow of legitimate trade and travel into and
out of the United States. Their mission also includes carrying out
traditional border-related responsibilities, including narcotics
interdiction, enforcing immigration law, and protecting the nation’s
food supply and agriculture industry from pests and diseases.
Police and Law Enforcement News
NJLawman.com
Monday, October 22, 2007 5:10 a.m. |
