Officers Seize Almost $1 Million Worth of Marijuana at Andrade Port of Entry

Wednesday, February 14, 2007

Andrade, Calif. - U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at the Andrade port of entry arrested two male U.S. citizens and seized almost 3,000 pounds of marijuana Sunday afternoon, February 11, officials announced today.

"Although the primary focus of CBP is anti-terrorism, we have not diminished our commitment to ensuring that narcotics are not allowed to enter the United States," said Raymond Nagy, port director of the Andrade port of entry. "Seizures such as these are a result of the heightened security on the border."

CBP officers encountered the two men when they came through the border station at about 4:30 pm in a Ford F-350 pulling a trailer. When officers noticed that both occupants were nervous, they utilized a narcotics detector dog to screen the vehicle. During the inspection, the dog alerted to the front of the trailer.

Officers subsequently found a four-foot deep false wall compartment in the front area of the trailer that contained 327 wrapped packages of the narcotic valued at about $1 million, officials said.