Posted: Dec 7, 2010 1:50 PM
NOGALES - Customs and Border Protection officers at the Nogales port of entry made two marijuana seizures in two hours, preventing 5,340 pounds of marijuana from entering the United States.
At 2 p.m. yesterday, officers were inspecting an incoming cargo train using an x-ray imager, and noticed discrepancies in a rail car's images. Officers found 25 bundles of marijuana weighing 593 pounds, estimated to be worth more than $504,000, CBP says.
CBP says at about 6:30 p.m., officers assigned to commercial truck inspection selected a tractor and trailer carrying squash for a closer look. Officers using an x-ray system noticed discrepancies in the image, and conducted a full inspection of the vehicle.
Officers found 212 bundles of marijuana mixed into the squash, weighing 4,478 pounds. The estimated value of the pot is $4 million, CBP says. The driver was turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement for further investigation.
"Every day, our officers and agriculture specialists are out on the line, looking for threats to our way of life," says Port Director Guadalupe Ramirez, "and successes like this make their time and effort worth every minute."
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