see also: in March 2008:   Summer Months an Added Challenge for Border Patrol   Los Meses de Verano, un Reto Para la Patrulla Fronteriza   Border Patrol Agents Rescue 38 Illegal Aliens from Smuggling Attempt   Laredo North Station Border Patrol Agents Arrest MS-13 Member   Laredo Sector Border Patrol Agents Arrest 18th Street Gang Member   El Paso CBP Officers View HDTV: Hidden Drugs in TV Set   El Paso Border Patrol Agents Arrest Criminals with Extensive Records ...more on cbp.gov:   CBP News Releases   Press Officers

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El Paso, Texas – U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers working at the El Paso port of entry seized 25 pounds of marijuana Wednesday morning. The seizure was unusual because of the concealment method and the age of the violator. The drugs were hidden in six large hominy and pepper cans carried across the border by a high school student. CBP officers in El Paso, West Texas, and New Mexico yesterday made 10 marijuana seizures totaling 805 pounds, including two that involved juvenile smugglers.

CBP officers working at the Paso Del Norte pedestrian crossing seized 25 pounds of marijuana at approximately 11:30 a.m. yesterday. A 17-year-old female U.S. citizen who resides in Juarez made a declaration of food products to CBP officers at the primary inspection area. CBP agriculture specialists x-rayed the products, including several sealed metal cans. The agriculture specialists detected an anomaly in the appearance of the scanned containers. One was opened, revealing a large bundle of marijuana. CBP officers proceeded to open the remaining five cans, which were labeled as white hominy and jalapeno peppers, and found that they all contained marijuana packages. The juvenile violator was turned over to the El Paso County sheriff’s department for prosecution.

The other case involving a juvenile drug smuggler also occurred at PDN shortly after 4 p.m. when a 1994 Pontiac van driven by a 17-year-old female resident of El Paso entered the port from Mexico. A CBP officer at the primary inspection noticed that the driver was nervous during routine questioning. CBP drug sniffing dog “Tommy” searched the car and alerted to the vehicle. CBP officers removed a total of 116 cellophane wrapped bundles of marijuana from the ceiling and floor of the van. The marijuana weighed 129 pounds. The driver, a U.S. citizen, was turned over to the El Paso Police Department for prosecution.

"These cases clearly illustrate that smuggling organizations will use any means imaginable in their attempts to introduce contraband into the United States," said Arthur Gonzales, acting CBP El Paso port director. "CBP officers must remain vigilant because history has shown that smugglers cannot be pigeon holed into any category and frequently are of any age or ethnic group employing any and all types of concealment methods."

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 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.