Posted on 11/20/2007 5:21:01 AM PST by Terabitten
Calexico, Calif. — U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at the Calexico, Calif. east commercial facility detained a Mexican truck driver after they discovered 8.85 tons of marijuana commingled with a shipment of television screens at the port Friday afternoon, Port Director Billy Whitford said today.
The 25-year-old driver, a resident of Mexicali, was registered in the Free and Secure Trade (FAST) program and was driving a 1992 GMC tractor-trailer with a shipment manifested as flat screen televisions.
As the truck waited in line to enter the U.S. through the FAST lane at about 4:20 p.m., CBP canine officers conducted a pre-primary operation when a narcotic detector dog alerted to the shipment.
Inspection of the truck through a non-intrusive gamma-ray system later revealed images with anomalies within the shipment. Upon opening the doors, several large packages fell out of the trailer.
Regarded as the largest marijuana load ever for the Calexico port of entry, officers discovered 1,019 large packages of marijuana for a total of 17,701.07 pounds, valued at about $67,264,000.
The tractor-trailer and marijuana were seized by CBP and the driver was taken into custody by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents and booked into Imperial County jail to await arraignment. ICE investigation is continuing.
FAST is a Border Accord Initiative between the United States, Mexico and Canada designed to ensure security and safety of trans-border commercial shipments, while enhancing economic prosperity of both countries.
Eligibility for the FAST program requires participants (carrier, drivers, importers, and southern border manufacturers) to submit an application, agreement and security profile. The FAST program allows known low risk commercial shipments to receive expedited border processing at cargo ports of entry.
"This significant seizure demonstrates our commitment to keeping America safe, not only from terrorists and their weapons, but safe from narcotics and the damage they create," Whitford said.
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 the 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.
CBP has two missions that are almost mutually exclusive: Get all the good guys across as quickly as possible, while stopping all the bad guys. Keep in mind that the bad guys are all *trying* to look like good guys, and the good guys sometimes look like bad guys. It's an incredibly difficult mission, and overall, our guys do a great job.
One minor technical quibble - Border Patrol is part of CBP - Customs & Border Protection. This bust was made by CBP Officers (Office of Field Operations), not Border Patrol Agents (Office of Border Patrol). OFO handles the legal ports of entry, Border Patrol handles the spaces between the legal POEs.
Ramos / Compean aside, you can rest assured that is not the case. Officers are usually rewarded for a bust like this.
I wonder what gave him away?
Terrorists and pot. lol.
This was in a local paper yesterday... FEDS SAY, POT PRICES COULD FALL
Are they going to auction off the TVs? How do you find the list?
The 25-year-old driver...was registered in the Free and Secure Trade (FAST) program...
We caught an ecstasy smuggler in our Nexus lane last week; unfortunately, there will always be those who betray trust, no matter how carefully they're screened. People who abuse the trusted traveler lanes need to have the book thrown at them.
There will always be those who abuse trust, Mexican or otherwise. We have FAST abusers on the Northern Border as well.
The prettiest two words in the CBP lexicon, Cash Award!
One of our guys nabbed someone with 8 lbs of Ex the other day.
Not to bash our leadership, but did anyone notice the celebratory story on the homepage about how TECS was 20 years old?
Generally, you’d want to oh, I don’t know, UPDATE something like that. Maybe put it in that new fangled “Windows” environment?
Drug running is a prosperous business, no doubt. Free Trade! Yippeeeee!
LOL, I saw that. I'm cursing TECS as we speak. Wouldn't it be nice if it was Windows driven?!
Windows driven? No thanks.
FITS is getting updated, though. The new system is supposed to be up and running within 6 months - FACTSWeb. Firearms, body armor, and creds will all be tracked on a web-based program.
Do you prefer pawn or dupe?
I'd rather they catch 9 tons of illegals than 9 tons of pot.
I wonder if Bush has sent the pooch on a special mission to Korea yet. The poor mutt has no idea of the problems he has caused.
Not working? Nine tons of drugs will now not be distributed in the United States. I'd say it worked just fine.
If you think that’s keepiong drugs out of our neighborhoods, you’re just as wrong today as you were during the last 100 drug busts. And you have been wrong for the last 90 years.
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