CBP Officers, Agriculture Specialists in South Texas Seize Large Amounts of Narcotics, Currency, Fake Documents in First Quarter of FY 12

South Texas – U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers and agriculture specialists at eight South Texas ports of entry seized a significant amount of narcotics, currency, false documents, and uncovered numerous immigration violations during the first quarter of fiscal year 2012. Fiscal Year 2012 began October 1, 2011 and the first quarter ended Dec. 31, 2011.

CBP officers at eight ports of entry extending from Brownsville to Del Rio in the first quarter of FY 2012 seized 32,472 pounds of narcotics that carried an estimated street value of nearly $74 million. Specifically they seized 31,054 pounds of marijuana, 942 pounds of cocaine, 414 pounds of methamphetamine, 62 pounds of heroin, $2.1 million in undeclared currency, five firearms and 12,640 rounds of ammunition.

South Texas CBP officers in the first quarter of FY 2012 determined that a total of 6,147 non-U.S. citizens were inadmissible to the U.S. due to violations of immigration law.

They made those interceptions while processing 647,000 commercial trucks, 4.7 million privately-owned vehicles, nearly 13 million passengers and pedestrians and 18,168 commercial buses at the ports over the same period.

 “Our frontline CBP officers put forth a strong effort in seizing significant amounts of narcotics, unreported currency, weapons and uncovering immigration violations while processing a significant amount of passenger and commercial traffic,” said Gene Garza, Director, Field Operations, Laredo Field Office. “Their utilization of their training, tools, technology and inspections experience was highly instrumental in achieving our enforcement results in the first quarter of FY 2012.”

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.