see also: in June 2008:   CBP in New Orleans Offers Tips for International Air Travelers for Summer Season   CBP Offers Tips for International Air Travelers in Memphis for Summer Season   U.S. Customs and Border Protection to Host San Diego Hiring Event   Baltimore CBP Recovers Stolen Vehicle Being Shipped Overseas   Border Patrol Agents Seize Cocaine, Methamphetamines and Marijuana   Canada, U.S. Sign Arrangement to Align Security Standards for Cross-Border Business   CBP, Texas Strengthen Partnership to Ensure Border Security ...more on cbp.gov:   CBP News Releases   Press Officers

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Detroit – U.S. Customs and Border Protection Officers at the Detroit Canada Tunnel discovered 35 pounds of marijuana inside the gas tank of a vehicle attempting to make entry into the U.S. on Thursday.

A 1999 Dodge Durango, being driven by a 35-year-old female, a Canadian citizen from Windsor, Ontario, was entering the United States at approximately 1:30 p.m. When Customs and Border Protection officers approached the vehicle and were told by the driver that she was going to the airport to take a flight to Mississippi and visit her boyfriend. The inspecting officers selected the vehicle for further inspection and referred it to the CBP secondary area.

The physical inspection of the vehicle revealed a trap door in the floor. Opening the door revealed several vacuum-sealed bags containing a green leafy substance. Officers removed the bags, 32 in all, and field tested the contents with a positive result for marijuana.

A total of 35 pounds of marijuana was removed from the vehicle. The driver, drugs and vehicle were turned over to officers from a local drug task force. The driver was eventually released pending further investigation. CBP refused her entry to the country, revoked her visa and returned her to Canada.

“The officers conducting this inspection paid attention to the small details that lead them to this marijuana.” stated Port Director Roderick Blanchard. “While we have not found a lot of gas tank loads in our area it is one of several methods used by drug traffickers to smuggle drugs across the border.”

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.