see also: in January 2003:   U.S. Customs Inspectors Seize 166 Pounds of Marijuana and $180,000 Cash in Shipment of Live Bears   South Texas U.S. Customs Inspectors Seize $7.2 Million in Narcotics This Week   Agents seize 106 Pounds of Marijuana at Checkpoint (pdf - 21 KB.)   Border Patrol Agents Seize 221 Pounds of Marijuana (pdf - 22 KB.)   U.S. Customs Service Inspectors at El Paso Port Stop 11 Drug Shipments Wednesday; Seizures Also Made At Presidio, Santa Teresa and Columbus Ports   Enforcement of 24-Hour Rule Begins February 2   U.S. Customs Service Native American Trackers and Special Agents Seize 2,421 Pounds of Marijuana ...more

contacts for this news release

EL PASO, TX--U.S. Customs Service inspectors working at the El Paso port of entry made a 421-pound cocaine seizure on Saturday. The drugs were hidden in a commercial truck that arrived from Mexico. In a pair of additional significant seizures, Customs inspectors seized 3,323 pounds of marijuana from a bus on Saturday and 2,229 pounds of marijuana from a commercial truck on Friday.

The cocaine seizure was made Saturday morning at the Bridge of the Americas (BOTA) cargo facility when a 2002 Sterling Silver Star tractor-trailer arrived at the port. A Customs inspector at the primary inspection booth detected a number of discrepancies in the vehicle and directed the rig to the VACIS gamma ray inspection system. A scan of the truck revealed a dense area in the passenger side fuel tank. Customs drug sniffing dog "Sandy" alerted to the fuel tank and Customs inspectors noted that the tank was dense. The vehicle was then scanned at the full truck x-ray unit that also indicated a dense area in the passenger side fuel tank. The tank was opened, revealing 165 cocaine-filled packages. The driver of the truck was turned over the El Paso County Sheriff's office for prosecution.

A 3,323-pound marijuana seizure was made Saturday morning at BOTA after a tour bus carrying 12 passengers from Torreon to San Antonio arrived at the port of entry. Customs drug sniffing dog "Sandy" searched the luggage compartment and alerted to the presence of narcotics. The bus was moved to the BOTA cargo facility for an intensive inspection. The bus was run through the VACIS gamma ray system that indicated a dense area in the floor of the vehicle. Customs inspectors examined the bus and determined that a non-factory compartment had been added to the floor. Inspectors drilled into the compartment, producing a substance that tested positive for marijuana. U.S. Customs officers removed 235 marijuana-filled bundles from the compartment. U.S. Customs special agents arrested the driver of the bus, 52-year-old Pintor Perez Meliton of Guadalajara in connection with the failed smuggling attempt.

U.S. Customs Service inspectors at the BOTA cargo facility seized 2,229 pounds of marijuana Friday. A 1965 Ford 600 truck loaded with scrap metal arrived at the port from Mexico. A Customs inspector observed that the driver of the truck apeared nervous during routine questioning and referred him to the VACIS gamma ray inspection system for an intensive exam. Inspectors noticed a dense image under the shipment of scrap metal. Customs drug sniffing dog "Cooper" searched the truck and expressed interest near the front of the cargo bed. Inspectors drilled into the area and produced a substance that tested positive for marijuana. The load of scrap metal was removed from the truck revealing four metal bins. The bins contained 158 marijuana-filled bundles. U.S. Customs special agents arrested the driver, 40-year-old Gustavo Roman Velasquez of Juarez in connection with the failed smuggling attempt.

"The U.S. Customs Service continues to operate under an elevated alert level which means that every passenger and conveyance seeking entry to the United States undergoes a greater level of scrutiny," said David Longoria, U.S. Customs Service Port Director in El Paso. "The sharp increase in drug seizures is directly related to the recent anti-terrorism training our officers have undergone."