see also: in May 2007 News Releases:   Agriculture Inspection, User Fee Requirements Begin June 1 for Commercial Trucks, Railroad Cars Entering U.S. From Canada   Customs and Border Protection starts 2007 Continued Dumping and Subsidy Offset Act Cycle   New Mexico Border Patrol Seizes Nearly $1.5 Million in Marijuana   Suspected Child Molester, FBI Top 10 Fugitive Turned Over to Buffalo Customs and Border Protection   Jayson P. Ahern Announced as Next CBP Deputy Commissioner   CBP Border Patrol Continues Recruiting With Help of Car #28   Electronic Manifest Filing Now Mandatory in Michigan and New York ...more on cbp.gov:   CBP News Releases   Press Officers

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Calexico, Calif. – U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers conducting border security operations at the downtown Calexico port of entry made a narcotic seizure Tuesday night worth almost $860,000, officials announced today.

At about 9:30 p.m., May 15, CBP officers discovered 29 packages of marijuana in the gas-tank of a 1998 commercial bus after it entered the United States from Mexico. The driver, a 49-year old Tijuana man, was ordered to the secondary inspection area for a more in-depth inspection. There were no passengers on the bus.

During secondary inspection, officers utilized a narcotic detector dog that alerted to the odor of narcotics coming from within the bus. Officers subsequently extracted the 285 pounds of marijuana from the gas-tank. The vehicle and marijuana were seized by CBP officers.

The driver was arrested for the foiled smuggling attempt.

Last week, CBP made a significant cocaine seizure at the Calexico East border station when officers ordered the 24-year old driver of a 2006 Pontiac to the secondary area for a more in-depth inspection. Officers then utilized a narcotic detector dog that alerted to the vehicle. Officers subsequently discovered a non-factory compartment underneath the rear seat of the vehicle that contained 86 wrapped packages of cocaine weighing 216 pounds and worth more than $2.1 million.

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.