December 20, 10

NEWS / CBP Officers Make Big Pot Bust at Presidio Port of Entry

Presidio, Texas – U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers working at the Presidio port of entry seized just over 100 pounds of marijuana yesterday. The marijuana was concealed in the tires of a vehicle.

The bust was made just after 7 p.m. when a 1997 Ford F-150 pick-up entered the port from Mexico. A CBP officer at the primary inspection booth noticed inconsistencies in the statements from the driver and referred the vehicle for a secondary examination. CBP drug sniffing dog “Baja” searched the vehicle and alerted to the tires. CBP officers x-rayed the vehicle and spotted something suspicious in the tires. CBP officers discovered a total of 16 metal collars in all four tires. The contents of the metal collars tested positive for marijuana with a total weight of 101.86 pounds.

CBP officers arrested the driver of the vehicle, 19-year-old Salvador Tamayo of Balch Springs, Texas. He was turned over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) special agents to face federal charges including importation of a controlled substance and possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance. He is currently detained at the Brewster County Jail in Alpine, Texas.

“Smuggling organizations will use every imaginable concealment method to get the narcotics through our international ports of entry,” said John Prewit, CBP Presidio port director. “The primary CBP officer on duty was thorough and focused and was able to identify this vehicle as one that needed additional scrutiny.”

While anti-terrorism is the primary mission of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the inspection process at the ports of entry associated with this mission results in impressive numbers of enforcement actions in all categories.

http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/newsroom/news_releases/local/12172010.xml