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contacts for this news release

Laredo, Texas – U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers and agriculture specialists at eight South Texas ports of entry seized a significant amount of narcotics, currency, false documents, and uncovered numerous immigration and agricultural violations during fiscal year 2008. Fiscal Year 2008 began October 1, 2007 and ended Sept. 30, 2008.

In FY 2008, CBP officers working at eight ports of entry extending from Brownsville to Del Rio seized a total of 60,062 pounds of narcotics worth $274 million. They made those interceptions while processing 2.5 million commercial trucks, 26.9 million privately-owned vehicles, 74.5 million passengers and pedestrians and 83,309 commercial buses over the same period.

Marijuana seizures led the overall narcotics totals by weight. In FY 2008, CBP officers seized 53,446 pounds of marijuana, 6,210 pounds of cocaine, 186 pounds of heroin (more than double the 88 pounds of heroin seized last year) and 220 pounds of methamphetamine. CBP officers seized $10.1 million in unreported currency in FY 2008.

Besides narcotics, CBP in South Texas also reported annual results of its immigration and agriculture enforcement. CBP officers in FY 2008 determined that a total of 26,662 non-U.S. citizens were inadmissible to the U.S. due to violations of immigration law. This represents a 13 percent decrease from the 30,704 inadmissible persons processed by CBP in South Texas in FY 2007. CBP officers processed a total of 444 criminal aliens in FY 2008.

CBP Laredo Field Office in FY 2008 made great strides in the agriculture enforcement categories. CBP officers and agriculture specialists intercepted a total of 24,964 pests, climbing 15 percent over last fiscal year. They also made 154,457 interceptions of quarantined plant and animal materials, up nearly 6 percent over the previous year. CBP also seized a total of 300 birds in FY 2008.

Among the more notable CBP enforcement actions for FY 2008 in South Texas are the following:

On September 8, CBP agriculture specialists at the Brownsville port of entry conducting a vessel examination intercepted egg masses and adult Asian Gypsy Moths found on the vessel surfaces. Molecular analysis of the egg masses by the APHIS Plant Protection Lab in Otis, Mass., confirmed the presence of Asian Gypsy Moth. This was only the second interception of AGM in Texas this fiscal year. AGM has no natural predators in the region and would cost millions of dollars and man hours to eradicate.

On September 1, CBP officers seized 18 pounds of heroin during inspection of the luggage of a 48-year-old Guatemalan citizen entering through the B&M Bridge in Brownsville, Texas as a taxi passenger. The heroin was found in the frame and wheels of a baby stroller and as decorative beads in two yarn bags. It has an estimated street value of $1.8 million.

On August 1, CBP officers at World Trade Bridge in Laredo, Texas seized 2,685 pounds of marijuana concealed in 408 bundles within a manifested shipment of furniture hauled by a 1989 International tractor. The marijuana has an estimated street value of $2.6 million. No immediate arrests were made.

On February 18, CBP officers at the Pharr-Reynosa International Bridge seized $290,244, in undeclared currency hidden within the transmission of a 1995 Ford F-150 pickup. The 24-year-old U.S. citizen driver was arrested on federal bulk cash smuggling charges.

On Dec. 28, 2007, members of the Import Specialist Enforcement Team at Laredo Port of Entry seized a shipment of New Year’s-type party favors including party poppers, party string and air horns valued at $244,478 after Consumer Product Safety Commission lab tests determined the merchandise was a hazardous substance and failed to meet the minimum labeling requirements of the Federal Hazardous Substances Act.

On Oct. 2, 2007, CBP officers intercepted a Mara Salvatrucha MS-13 gang member during screening of northbound railcars at the Eagle Pass port of entry. Further inquiry revealed previous deportation to El Salvador and apprehensions for burglary, possession of a weapon on a school campus, sale of a dangerous weapon and carrying a concealed weapon. He was processed for expedited removal and turned over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

“The variety of success stories our officers and agriculture specialists posted this year speaks not only to their excellence but to the diverse scope of our mission, which is rooted in anti-terrorism but also extends into enforcement of immigration, customs, agriculture and intellectual and property rights laws,” said Leticia Moran, CBP director of field operations in Laredo. “As we sharpen our focus on our number one priority, keeping terrorists and their weapons out of this country, we have noticed that our continued vigilance has yielded significant gains in our traditional enforcement missions.”

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.