see also: in February 2007 News Releases:   Border Officers Respond To Medical Emergency   Federal Authorities Seize Narcotics Valued at More Than $15 Million in Caribbean   Spring Breakers: Get Your Passports Now   CBP Seizes 403 Pounds of Undeclared Cheese, Two Vehicles at Colombia-Solidarity Bridge   U.S.-Canada Trusted Air Traveler Program Expands   CBP Border Patrol Agents Rescue 56 Aliens from Truck   ACE Mandated for E-manifest Filing at Border Ports in Michigan and New York ...more on cbp.gov:   CBP News Releases   Press Officers

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Nogales, Ariz – U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at the Mariposa port of entry in Nogales found more than 900 pounds of marijuana hidden inside a false wall built into an empty horse trailer this morning.

At a little after 7:00 a.m., CBP officers performing anti-terrorism and contraband interdiction operations at the port of entry decided to take a close look at an empty horse trailer being pulled by a Dodge pickup driven by a 29-year-old US citizen from Tucson after noting discrepancies in the man’s answers to routine questions.

Despite the fact that the trailer was empty, the officers suspected there might be contraband hidden within the structure of the trailer. During a thorough inspection of the trailer, their suspicions were confirmed. Narcotics detector dogs alerted to the odor of narcotics, prompting the officers to look into how the trailer was put together. They discovered a false wall in the front of the trailer that, when opened, revealed more than 900 pounds of marijuana inside.

The narcotics, truck, and trailer were all seized, and the driver was arrested and turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.

This is the second large seizure in the last 24 hours at the Nogales port of entry. Yesterday afternoon CBP officers at the cargo facility seized 1,766 pounds of marijuana hidden in a tractor-trailer filled with cucumbers.

Enforcement efforts at the Nogales port of entry over the last two weeks have resulted in the seizure of more than 6,900 pounds of marijuana; more than 13,900 pounds of marijuana have been seized since the beginning of the fiscal year.

The Office of Field Operations is responsible for operations 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, and protecting the nation’s food supply and agriculture industry from pests and diseases.

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.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) 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.