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El Paso, Texas - U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers performing anti-terrorism inspections at El Paso area ports of entry were kept busy this week with drug seizures, illegal immigration cases, prohibited food items, and fugitive apprehensions.

CBP officers recorded 126 immigration violations at area ports this week. CBP officers stopped 61 imposters because of thorough document exams. Imposters generally will use a legitimate entry document assigned to another person and present it as their own. Violators generally lose their documents, can be prosecuted and go to jail and/or are returned to Mexico.

“It is unusual to apprehend exactly 61 imposters two weeks in a row,” said CBP El Paso Port Director William Molaski. “However there is nothing out of the ordinary when CBP officers successfully identify and stop people who are attempting to enter the country illegally as an imposter. Many of these imposters have been previously removed from the U.S. for criminal activity so they resort to this tactic in an attempt to reenter the country illegally.”

CBP officers nabbed 36 intended immigrants. In these cases, individuals will use a legally issued border-crossing card (laser visa) to live or work in the U.S., which is not authorized. They also lose their documents and are generally returned to Mexico. Area CBP officers also identified 29 people who made false claims to U.S. citizenship, attempted to enter with counterfeit or altered documents, and those attempting to enter without inspection.

Area CBP officers made a total of 36 drug busts during the previous seven days. CBP officers confiscated 2,878 pounds of marijuana in 35 seizures and 4.79 pounds of cocaine in one additional bust.

CBP officers working at area ports made a total of eight agriculture seizures during the previous seven day period. Violators paid $1,550 in fines associated with the seizures. Prohibited agricultural items seized this week included pork, ham, chorizo, guavas, avocados, fresh eggs and live plants.

Failure to declare prohibited items can result in a $300 penalty for an initial offense and $1,000 for a repeat violation. If properly declared, prohibited food items can generally be abandoned at the port of entry without consequence.

CBP officers working area ports of entry apprehended a total of 28 fugitives this week. They also made one weapons seizure, identified three export violations generating $2,950 in penalties, confiscated cock fighting spurs, and seized one rooster and three live hens. 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.