see also: in February 2008:   Marijuana Seized by CBP Officers at San Luis, Ariz. Port   Border Patrol in Tucson Seizes 4 Tons of Marijuana   CBP Officers in Philadelphia Discover Venomous 8-Legged Stowaway   Arizona Event to Assist Border Patrol Applicants   Departments of Justice and Homeland Security Announce International Initiative Against Traffickers in Counterfeit Network Hardware   Border Patrol Apprehends 62 Illegal Migrants Hiding in Arizona House   CBP Officers in Calif. Find Smuggled Women in Truck Engine Compartment ...more on cbp.gov:   CBP News Releases   Press Officers

contacts for this news release

Indio, Calif. – Last night Border Patrol agents detained four individuals in Mecca, Calif. suspected of being involved in the theft of a voter ballot box.

At approximately 10 p.m. during a vehicle traffic stop Indio Border Patrol agents encountered a male driver of a white Ford Thunderbird with three occupants. El Centro sector dispatch advised the agent that the vehicle matched the description of one suspected of being involved in a theft near Coachella as reported by the Riverside County sheriff’s office.

Riverside County sheriff detectives arrived on scene shortly thereafter and stated that the occupants were suspected of stealing a ballot box used during yesterday’s primary election. Working in collaboration with the sheriff’s department, agents were able to contribute information that ultimately led detectives to an apartment complex. There detectives found the stolen ballot box and several other suspected stolen items.

“We have an extraordinary working relationship with all area law enforcement agencies to include the Riverside sheriff’s office, and this is just a testament to that relationship,” said Jeffrey Calhoon, acting chief patrol agent. “When we work together, we improve the quality of life in our communities and better serve those who we are sworn to protect.”

All four subjects were turned over to the Riverside County sheriff’s office and subsequently placed under arrest for the theft of the property.

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.