Large Marijuana Bust at Santa Teresa Port of Entry

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers working at the Santa Teresa port of entry made a marijuana seizure Sunday. The drugs were found concealed in a false floor compartment of a vehicle.

?CBP officers and the use of high-tech tools greatly contributed to this significant seizure and the arrest of these smugglers,? said Jesus Luis Chavez, Assistant Port Director for CBP in Santa Teresa. ?Great work is undertaken by our CBP officers each day as they continue to stop these drugs from being brought into our country.?

The seizure was made at 10:19 a.m. when a 28-year-old man driving a 2004 Nissan Armada arrived from Mexico and told officers he only had clay souvenirs to declare. CBP officers selected the vehicle for a gamma-ray exam and identified several anomalies in the appearance of the floor area. The vehicle was taken to a separate inspection area where an extensive inspection of the floor was conducted and discovered to have a non-factory compartment. CBP officers removed a total of 273 bundles from the compartment. The contents of the bundles tested positive for marijuana with an approximate weight of 447.98 pounds.

CBP officers arrested the driver Nicholas Walters and a female passenger, 28-year-old Jaime Leigh Torres. Both were turned over to ICE-HSI special agents after the case was accepted for federal prosecution.

CBP Field Operations is responsible for securing our borders at the ports of entry. U.S. Customs and Border Protection Officers? primary mission is anti-terrorism; they screen all people, vehicles, and goods entering the United States, while facilitating the flow of legitimate trade and travel into and out of the United States. Their mission also includes carrying out traditional border-related responsibilities, including narcotics interdiction, enforcing immigration law, protecting the nation?s food supply and agriculture industry from pests and diseases, and enforcing trade laws.