(Friday, June 20, 2008)
Nogales, Arizona. — Keeping dangerous drugs from entering the country is part of what CBP does every day at the ports of entry, and yesterday’s seizure of 34 pounds of heroin is a prime example of this.
At approximately 11:45 a.m. yesterday, a CBP officer performing checks on people and vehicles entering the country from Mexico selected the driver of a 1999 Dodge pickup for examination. The officer questioned the driver, a 42-year-old woman from Phoenix, and performed a quick check of the vehicle. During the check, the officer noticed discrepancies with the vehicle and proceeded to give it a thorough inspection.
The officer called in a narcotics detector dog, who alerted to narcotics odor coming from the vehicle, which increased the officer’s suspicions. After the dog alerted, additional officers helped search the vehicle, discovering 25 packages of heroin inside the gas tank.
The driver was immediately arrested and turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement for further investigation. The heroin was seized along with the vehicle. Estimated street value of the heroin is $1.5 million.
So far this fiscal year, CBP officers in Arizona have seized 216 pounds of heroin, up from 28 pounds last fiscal year.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection is the unified border agency within the Department of Homeland Security charged with the management, control and protection of our nation's borders at and between the official ports of entry. CBP is charged with keeping terrorists and terrorist weapons out of the country while enforcing hundreds of U.S. laws.
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