Friday, August 27, 2010

CBP Officers Seize Marijuana at Lukeville Port of Entry

Lukeville, Ariz. - U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers working at the Lukeville port of entry seized more than 109 pounds of marijuana hidden inside a mini-van with an estimated street value of $93,000.

On Aug. 23, at approximately 6:30 p.m. while CBP officers were processing travelers entering the U.S., a 25-year-old woman and her 25-year old female passenger, both U. S. citizens from Evansville, Ind., applied for entry while driving a 1999 gold Ford Windstar mini-van. The women were referred to secondary inspection where officers discovered several anomalies during a non-intrusive inspection. They subsequently found 101 packages of marijuana concealed in various locations inside the van.

“Despite regular publicity on our abilities to locate illegal contraband, some people still try to smuggle contraband into the United States,” said Acting Port Director, Efrain Solis. “Regardless of the creative ways criminal organization try to circumvent our detection methods, we will remain thorough and vigilant.”

The two subjects were turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement and drugs seized.

A criminal complaint is simply the method by which a person is charged with criminal activity and raises no inference of guilt. An individual is presumed innocent until competent evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

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.

Field Operations is responsible for securing our borders 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, protecting the nation’s food supply and agriculture industry from pests and diseases, and enforcing trade laws.

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