CBP stops unusual illegal activities
A 58-year-old female Canadian citizen was fined earlier this month after she failed to declare four bottles of medication she was carrying in her purse while crossing back into the country through the U.S. Port of Entry at Andrade, Calif.
According to a news release issued by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the incident happened at about 2:45 p.m. on Dec. 8 and involved weight-loss drugs.
After stopping the woman, Customs and Border Protection officers determined the bottles contained 400 15-mg capsules of a drug prescribed for obese patients to assist with weight-loss, worth an estimated $2,330 in the U.S.
CBP seized the medication and fined the traveler.
Every day, CBP officers at ports of entry along the California/Mexico border work diligently to secure the nation’s border and stop illegal activity, the news release stated.
While well-known for seizing narcotics and stopping people from illegally entering the United States, these officers are also responsible for enforcing hundreds of other federal, state and local laws.
Here are just some of the unusual illegal activities officers recently stopped:
On Nov. 30 at about 5:15 p.m., CBP officers at the Tecate border crossing referred an 85-year-old female Mexican citizen, and resident of Tecate, for a more intensive inspection.
When the driver exited her vehicle as part of the inspection process, she was carrying a cage, covered in a towel, with two live canaries inside.
CBP officers seized the undeclared birds and the driver paid a $300 penalty.
On Dec. 8, at about 2:15 p.m., CBP officers at the Otay Mesa border crossing pulled aside a gold GMC Suburban driven by a 58-year-old male Mexican citizen, and resident of Wilmington, Calif.
During inspection, officers discovered alcohol hidden in the vehicle’s spare tire. The driver paid a $562 penalty for his smuggling attempt.
On Dec. 9, at about 3:45 p.m., a detector dog alerted to a tan 2004 Dodge Ram, driven by a 30-year-old male U.S. citizen and resident of San Diego, waiting in line to enter the United States.
During their inspection, officers discovered that the pickup not only contained two people, hidden in the truck’s cab under a sheet, but also that the vehicle had a wooden license plate, painted to look like a normal California license plate, that was placed behind a tinted plastic cover.
CBP officers determined that the two people hidden behind the cab's backseat were illegal immigrants from Mexico, one with an active, no-bail warrant from the Los Angeles Police Department for a drug-related crime. Officers arrested all three vehicle occupants.
Then on Dec. 21, at about 6 a.m., a 40-year-old male U.S. citizen driving a blue 1993 Ford Thunderbird applied for admission to the U.S. at the San Ysidro border crossing.
During the interview and inspection, a CBP officer discovered a laundry detergent box in the backseat of the vehicle with a package hidden inside.
The package contained slightly more than one pound of marijuana. Officers seized the vehicle and narcotics, and turned the driver over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
On Dec. 22, at CBP Officers at the San Ysidro border crossing referred a 37-year-old male, U.S. citizen, and resident of San Fernando, Calif., for a more intensive inspection, where they found steroids taped to his thighs and hidden in his socks.
In total, CBP officers discovered 30 ml and 12 ml of two different injectable steroids, 100 tablets of another steroid, and 36 syringes.
CBP officers seized the steroids and syringes, and assessed a $14,130 penalty for the smuggling attempt.
James Gilbert can be reached at jgilbert@yumasun.com of 539-6854.
