CBP Chicago K-9 Rambo Seizes Opium Bound for Milwaukee

June 17, 2010 - Chicago — U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) K-9 officer working with his partner Rambo, seized almost 8 pounds of opium saturated twigs at the Chicago O’Hare Foreign Mail Facility June 15, 2010. While screening arriving international mail, K-9 Rambo alerted to a parcel of opium that had been soaked and dried onto wooden twigs.

The parcel, shipped from Thailand and destined to the Milwaukee Wisconsin area, was manifested with the description “Gifts.” The CBP K-9 officer opened the parcel to find a total of 10 plastic bags containing wood twigs. The twigs appeared to be saturated with an unknown substance that emitted a distinctive odor. The substance from the bags field tested positive for the presence of opiates. The 10 bags of opium saturated twigs had a combined weight of just 7.9 pounds. The shipper and the recipient are currently under investigation.

In 2009, Rambo intercepted more than 195 kilograms of opiate material. The majority of the seized shipments have originated from Thailand or Laos and were destined to various residences in Wisconsin and Minnesota. The investigations are ongoing.

“The efforts put forth by CBP K-9 officers and their partners continue to produce impressive results this year,” said David J. Murphy, CBP director of field operations in Chicago. “This is another example of how the nation’s largest and most diverse law enforcement canine program is a key contributor to the successes of CBP. These K-9 officers work daily with their partners to discover prohibited items and prevent contraband from entering the United States.”

CBP officers and agriculture specialists are stationed at the Foreign Mail Facilities located throughout the country. CBP is constantly screening arriving international mail and on the lookout for any type of contraband or prohibited items being shipped to the United States which could harm the community.