| Canines in the news
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U.S. Customs and Border Projection canines and their handlers are hard at work safeguarding our borders and our nation's food supplies. Here is just a sampling of the outstanding seizures that they are making around the country.September 12, 2003Eagle Pass, Tex.U.S. Customs and Border Protection inspectors seized $268,936 in undeclared currency during an outbound (southbound) inspection at Eagle Pass Bridge 1. A CBP inspector asked the driver of a pickup truck whether he had more than $10,000 in cash, weapons or ammunition to declare. The driver, a U.S. citizen from Houston, declared $1,000. During secondary examination, CBP inspectors noticed some discrepancies in the dashboard and the rear seat.Canine "Zeke" alerted to the dashboard area. After examining the area, CBP inspectors and Eagle Pass police officers found black tape-wrapped bundles behind the dashboard and the rear seat. Inspectors found $1,305 in currency in the driver's shorts and a black tape-wrapped bundle of currency in his wife's purse identical to those found hidden in the vehicle. The couple was arrested on charges of smuggling bulk cash.October 19, 2003Miami International Airport Agricultural canine "Trouble" alerted to the luggage of a passenger arriving from Lima, Peru. Agricultural Canine Officer Sherry Keblish searched the luggage and found quince, a fruit, infested with 20 larva of the Mediterranean fruit fly. This insect is an extremely destructive fruit pest, causing reduced crop yields, deformities, and premature fruit drops. Experts estimate that if Med fly were established in the United States, losses due to export sanctions, lost markets and treatment costs could be as high as $1.5 billion.November 7, 2003El Paso, Tex.The driver of an F-150 pick-up truck crossing the Ysleta bridge appeared uneasy and jittery, eagerly declaring his U.S. citizenship and one bottle of liquor, the inspector considered this behavior an attempt to expedite the primary inspection. The inspector noticed a discrepancy in the air vent between the hood and windshield. He attempted to probe the vent and noticed the vent was obstructed by a non-factory installed piece of metal.In secondary, a canine inspection was requested resulting in a positive alert to the passenger's side dash and door near the glove compartment. The firewall was drilled and inspectors removed nine bundles of cocaine (21.1 Lbs.) and three bundles of methamphetamine (3.1 Lbs.) from the non-factory firewall compartment.November 11, 2003Laredo, Tex.CBP Border Patrol agents operating an immigration traffic checkpoint seized 1,580 pounds of marijuana valued at $1,264,000 after a Border Patrol canine made a positive alert on the tractor-trailer. The driver, a U.S. citizen, the tractor-trailer, and marijuana were turned over to the Drug Enforcement Administration.November 11, 2003 Tucson, Ariz.CBP Border Patrol agents of the Naco Station, with the assistance of a Border Patrol canine, recovered an abandoned load of 1,049 pounds of marijuana valued at $839,200. The vehicle and the marijuana were turned over to the Drug Enforcement Administration.November 12, 2003Falfurrias, Tex.CBP Border Patrol agents, while searching arriving containers, intercepted more than 748 pounds of cocaine with an estimated value of over $23,900,000. CBP inspectors, Border Patrol agents, and canine officers used a gamma-ray system commonly used at the ports-of-entry to rapidly search arriving containers. The cocaine was hidden in a complex piece of machinery as it passed through the Border Patrol checkpoint.November 15, 2003Laredo, Tex.CBP Border Patrol agents of the Laredo Sector arrested a U.S. citizen following a search and positive canine alert of a tractor-trailer. A total of 1,291 pounds of marijuana was seized with an estimated value of $1,032,000. The driver, tractor-trailer and marijuana were turned over to the Drug Enforcement Administration.Later that morning, CBP Border Patrol agents again arrested a second U.S. citizen after a search and positive canine alert of a vehicle. They recovered a total of 23 pounds of methamphetamine with an estimated value of $552,000. The suspect, vehicle, and contraband were turned over to the Drug Enforcement Administration.November 21, 2003Calexico, Calif.An inspector recognized the name of a cargo of cleaning products that had been targeted for possible narcotics smuggling. He asked CEO Andrew Cottingham to screen the cargo with his narcotic detector dog "Gordie." Gordie alerted to a box that seemed particularly heavy. Inside the box was a package wrapped in brown postal tape. The package contained a green leafy substance that tested positive for marijuana. The entire trailer was unloaded and seven pallets out of the 20 listed on the manifest contained boxes of marijuana packed in with the cleaning product-451 packages of marijuana weighing a total of 3203 lbs were seized.November 29, 2003Memphis, Tenn.Canine Officer Reginald Carter and canine "Gracie," assigned to the Federal Express hub, found 16 pounds of pork sausages in a package that originated in Spain. This is Memphis' first agriculture canine team. This new cargo inspection team graduated from training on October 3, 2003. |
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