March 5, 10

NEWS / SENTRI Participant Revoked From Trusted Traveler Program

CBP Officers Find Narcotics in Vehicle

San Ysidro, CA - U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at the San Ysidro port of entry arrested a 31-year-old San Diego man registered to participate in the SENTRI program, after they discovered marijuana in the vehicle he was driving into the United States.

On Monday, March 1, at about 1 p.m., CBP officers encountered the driver of a California plated 2004 BMW 325I when he entered the port for inspection through a designated SENTRI lane. The officer developed information prompting him to refer the SENTRI member for a more in-depth examination.


In the secondary lot, the BMW was processed through the port’s x-ray imaging system, which revealed anomalies in the spare tire. Officers extracted eight packages from a spare tire located in the vehicle’s trunk. The substance found within the packages field-tested positive for marijuana weighing more than 40 pounds.


The driver was arrested for the alleged smuggling attempt. His SENTRI privileges were revoked. CBP seized the narcotics and vehicle.


About an hour later, officers at the nearby Otay Mesa passenger port apprehended a fugitive wanted on a $3 million bail warrant. Forty-five year old Enrique Sandoval was encountered when he entered the border station as a pedestrian. A CBP officer ran Sandoval’s Lawful Permanent Resident card against law enforcement databases, alerting him, that Sandoval was wanted. The officer escorted him to a secure location for further processing.


Further investigation, which included fingerprint identification, revealed Sandoval was wanted by the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office on a $3 million warrant for larceny. He was booked into the San Diego County jail.

http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/newsroom/news_releases/local/03032010_8.xml