CBP Officers Stop 79 Yr Old Smuggler, 5-Hr Bridge Closure
EL PASO, TX. – U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers performing anti-terror inspections at border ports of entry in El Paso, West Texas, and New Mexico made 30 drug busts this week.
CBP officers seized at total 3,645 pounds of marijuana in the seizures. The drugs have an estimated street value of $3,645,000. On Tuesday, CBP officers at the Paso Del Norte border crossing in El Paso seized 140 pounds of marijuana in a vehicle being driven by 79-year-old Felipe Origel of El Paso.
Origel arrived at the port at 11:50 a.m. driving a 1988 Subaru station wagon. CBP drug-sniffing dog “Leeky” alerted to the vehicle. While searching the vehicle, CBP officers noticed anodd shapein the gas tank of the vehicle. Because of the unusual appearance of what they discovered, CBP officers contacted the El Paso Police Department (EPPD) bomb squad to assess the discovery.
The port of entry was closed because of concern for the safety of the traveling public, port officers and the facility. The EPPD bomb squad arrived and conducted an assessment and determined that theitem did not pose a risk. The port was reopened at approximately 4:35 p.m. CBP officers then continued their inspection of the vehicle and discovered 129 bundles of marijuana hidden in the gas tank area, dashboard, and under the hood of the car. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) special agents arrested Origel in connection with the failed smuggling attempt.
CBP officers working at area border ports recorded 140 immigration violations during the last seven days. CBP officers identified a total of 55 intended immigrant cases (people with legitimate entry documents intending to live/work illegally in the U.S.), 38 imposters (people using a legitimate document not assigned to the person) 29 false claims for U.S. citizenship by non U.S. citizens, 14 people attempting to enter the U.S. with counterfeit, fraudulent, or altered entry documents, and four people who attempted to enter the U.S. without inspection.
Area CBP officers made 15 agricultural and food seizures during the week, resulting in $3,500 in penalties being assessed. Prohibited items seized this week included pork, ham, chorizo, quinces, pomegranates, apples, peaches, guavas, avocados, mangos, figs, lemon grass and lemon leaves. The interception of these prohibited items are important in preventing the introduction of pests and disease that pose a risk to the U.S. agriculture industry.
