Customs inspectors noticed that the shirts and blue jeans were unusually stiff and that the clothes smelled of vinegar. There was also a white powder residue that trailed the clothes, where more than 2.2 pounds of heroin was starched into the clothing.

On February 5, 2002, the smuggler, who arrived on a flight from Colombia, told agents that he was to receive $12,500 for carrying the clothing into the United States. The baggage was allowed to continue to New York - its final destination. When three men arrived to collect the load of freshly starched clothing, agents from the New York Special Agent-in-Charge (SAIC) Office were on hand to make sure they had no chance of making a clean get-away.

234 pounds of cocaine seized at Presidio Port
Inspectors performing level one alert status anti-terrorism inspections located 234.6 pounds of cocaine in a tractor-trailer that entered the port from Mexico. The seizure is the largest cocaine bust at the Presidio port of entry in almost a year.

Customs inspectors seized the tractor pulling an empty trailer shortly after it arrived at the port. Customs inspectors scanned the vehicle and received a high reading on a "Buster" density meter. The presence of narcotics in the cab of the tractor was confirmed when inspectors used a VACIS gamma ray inspection system to screen the tractor-trailer.

Inspectors searched the tractor and found a trap door under the carpet. Once opened, the inspectors found 91 cocaine-filled bundles wrapped with duct tape.

202 cartons of cigarettes seized at Honolulu
A couple returning from the Philippines drew attention to themselves after having trouble at the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service checkpoint at Honolulu airport. During a secondary inspection Customs inspectors examined the couple's baggage and found six boxes (202 cartons) full of untaxed cigarettes.

Cigarettes manufactured in the Philippines can be purchased for $5 to $10 a carton. However, when resold illegally here in the United States, they can sell for $25 to $30 a carton. In Hawaii, taxed cigarettes sell for over $30 a carton. The couple was arrested for a Class C felony under state law, possessing and transporting more than 3,000 untaxed cigarettes. They were later released pending further investigation.

"This is the largest seizure of illegal cigarettes we've had at the airport in a long time," says Senior Special Agent Michael Cox.