69-Year-Old Man Arrested in Drug Smuggling Attempt

Wednesday, January 23, 2008

El Paso, Texas -- U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers performing anti-terror inspections at the El Paso port of entry on Tuesday seized 225 pounds of marijuana that were concealed in a vehicle being driven by a 69-year-old Mexican male. The seizure was the largest of five drug loads stopped by CBP officers at the El Paso port yesterday. CBP officers seized a total of 418 pounds of marijuana and 21 pounds of cocaine in those five busts.

The 225-pound seizure was made late Tuesday morning at the Ysleta crossing as CBP officers were inspecting cars in the queue of vehicles south of the inspection booths. During the “pre-primary” sweep of waiting cars, CBP drug sniffing dog “Outlaw” alerted to the bumper of a car in line.

CBP officers examined the vehicle in line and spotted taped bundles in the bumper of a 1996 Mercury Sable being driven by a 69-year-old man from Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. CBP officers removed a total of 200 marijuana-filled bundles from the bumper. The driver was taken into custody and turned over to the El Paso police for prosecution.