December 7, 2003
Miami, Fla.
Canine Enforcement Officer T. Witkowski teamed up with several rovers to target a flight from Medellin, Colombia. While screening passengers and their carry on luggage at the jet-way, K-9 "Cooper" alerted to a male passenger as he left the aircraft. The passenger was escorted to federal inspection station (FIS) enclosure to claim his checked luggage. Cooper alerted to the passenger's luggage. Examination of the luggage revealed unusually thick sides. An inspector probed the sides and found a white powdery substance that field-tested positive for heroin. Total estimated weight of the heroin was 7 pounds. The passenger also admitted to swallowing approximately 40 pellets containing heroin.

December 10, 2003
Nogales, Ariz.
CBP AI Terra Oldham and canine "Dolly" inspected a Crucero bus carrying 18 passengers. In the luggage compartment under the bus, Dolly alerted to a cardboard box that contained raw camotes (a yam type of tuber), some other food items, and plastic bags. Oldham performed a more detailed inspection of the box revealing approximately 2 kgs of pork cracklings or chicharrones. All pork products are denied entry into the U.S. from Mexico. Camotes are not permitted entry to the U.S. from Mexico if they are dirty and uncooked, which they were in this case.

The owners of the box were issued a $50 fine for failure to declare.

December 15, 2003
Miami, Fla.
CEO Deanna Coursey and canine partner "Garnet" were working a flight from Montego Bay, Jamaica, when Garnet alerted to an arriving passenger. After Coursey and several other CBP officers spent several hours interviewing the passenger, the passenger admitted to having swallowed approximately 60 pellets of cocaine.

December 20, 2003
JFK Airport, New York
CEO Omar Ventura and his narcotic detector dog "Tico" were searching luggage that arrived on a flight from Medellin, Columbia, when Tico alerted to two soft-sided suitcases. The suspect bags were allowed to continue into the FIS area where passenger Fabio Sosa Casas picked them up. The bags had false sides and false bottoms that contained 7,534 grams (16.5 lbs.) of heroin.