see also: in May 2005 Press Releases:   Machine Readable Passports Required for all Visa Waiver Program Travel as of June 26, 2005   CBP Officers Rescue Screaming Woman at Calexico   CBP Border Patrol Intercepts Over 8 Tons of Marijuana   Brazil Will Participate in Container Security Initiative to Screen Cargo Destined for U.S.   U.S. Customs and Border Protection Announces the Arrival of Nine New Puppies   CBP Officers Seize Almost Two Tons of Marijuana at Calexico Port   Tips For U.S. Citizens and Permanent Residents Traveling Abroad ...more on cbp.gov:   CBP News Releases   Press Officers

contacts for this news release

Washington, DC – U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Border Patrol agents seized over 25,800 pounds of marijuana, valued at over $20 million along the southwest border over a five-day period. Below are three key seizures that occurred during that span.

On May 11, 2005, CBP Border Patrol agents assigned to the Kingsville, Texas Station seized 7,309 pounds of marijuana valued at $5,847,200 and arrested a 25-year old United States Citizen when it stopped at the Border Patrol Checkpoint in Sarita, Texas. A canine alerted to the tractor-trailer and the marijuana was found concealed in a cargo compartment behind crates of pineapples. The subject, contraband, and the vehicle were turned over to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).

May 13, 2005, CBP Border Patrol agents assigned to the Hebbronville, Texas Station seized 2,218 pounds of marijuana valued at $1,774,560 and arrested a 28-year old United States Citizen on State Highway 359 west of Hebbronville. A canine alerted to the subject’s vehicle and it was subsequently transported to the Hebbronville Station for closer inspection. A total of 158 bundles of marijuana were found concealed inside the truck’s two factory fuel tanks. The driver, vehicle and contraband were turned over to DEA.

Also on May 13th, CBP Border Patrol agents working the I-19 checkpoint located near Amado, Arizona, seized 4,788 pounds of marijuana in a tractor-trailer. After a canine alerted to the trailer, it was directed to a secondary inspection area. In secondary, agents discovered 220 bundles of marijuana hidden among pallets of watermelons. The estimated value of the marijuana is approximately $3,830,480.

CBP Border Patrol checkpoints are a critical enforcement tool that serves as a second tier of a multi-layered border enforcement strategy for carrying out the mission of securing our nation’s borders against terrorists, their weapons, other contraband and illegal aliens. CBP Border Patrol is deploying assets to immediate threat areas and establishing a comprehensive enforcement web that denies northbound routes of egress for smugglers and potential terrorists. One of the key elements of the National Border Patrol Strategy is deploying a defense-in-depth approach, which makes full use of interior checkpoints, and enforcement operations that are vital to the security of the United States.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection is the agency within the Department of Homeland Security charged with the protection of our nation’s borders. CBP unified Customs, Immigration, Agriculture Inspectors, and the Border Patrol into one agency for the United States.