Enchantment State News

In late July, officers with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) at the Area Port of San Luis confiscated 80 pounds of methamphetamine concealed in a sport utility vehicle attempting to enter the United States. A U.S. citizen was turned over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations. The CBP announced the seizure in an August 1 news release.

The incident occurred on July 24 at approximately 5:15 p.m., when a 24-year-old woman, a U.S. citizen, applied for entry from Mexico in a sport utility vehicle (SUV) at the San Luis I Port of Entry. Inspectors flagged the SUV for further examination. According to CBP, it was during the secondary inspection that officers employed non-intrusive technology to screen the vehicle, and a canine alerted them to the presence of narcotics throughout the vehicle.

When CBP officers looked further, they pulled more than 100 packages of methamphetamine from the quarter panels, doors, and roof of the SUV. When analyzed, CBP officers determined that the contents were methamphetamine, totaling more than 80 pounds with an estimated street value of nearly $175,000.

"Fantastic job to our port personnel involved in this narcotic interception," stated Chris Leon, Area Port Director for San Luis. "Our CBP officers remain vigilant and dedicated to protecting our nation and local community." Leon added that not only did officers seize the drugs and vehicle, but they also arrested the unnamed woman and turned her over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement for further investigation.

The San Luis Port of Entry is located in CBP’s Yuma sector, which covers 126 miles of the U.S. border from California’s Imperial Sand Dunes to the Yuma-Pima County line in Arizona. It comprises 181,670 square miles of open desert, rocky mountainous areas, drifting sand dunes, and the Colorado River. According to CBP's website dedicated to the Yuma Sector, it is one of the fastest-growing sectors in the country, having doubled in size since 2004. It was originally established in 1954.

U.S. Border Patrol is a federal law enforcement agency under the Department of Homeland Security responsible for safeguarding the nation's borders and preventing illegal entry of people and contraband. Established in 1924, it operates in 328 ports of entry and protects 7,000 miles of land borders and 95,000 miles of maritime borders.