PRESIDIO: U.S. Customs and Border Protection Office of Field Operations officers working at the Presidio port of entry seized 283 pounds of marijuana Friday afternoon. The drugs were hidden in both frame rails of a gooseneck trailer. The estimated street value of the seized contraband is $225,000. “Our officers are ever vigilant for this type of smuggling method,” said John Deputy, CBP Presidio Port Director. “Inspecting for contraband in the I-beams of a trailer is just one of a multitude of areas on a trailer checked by officers.”
The seizure was made at 12:15 p.m. when a 2005 Dodge Ram 2500 pickup truck towing an empty gooseneck trailer entered the port from Mexico. The vehicle was referred for a thorough inspection. CBP canine detector dog “Indi” alerted to the presence of narcotics and an x-ray scan of the trailer showed anomalies in the frame rails. CBP officers drilled into a rail of the trailer and extracted a substance which tested positive for the properties of marijuana. A total of 273 bundles with a total weight of 283 pounds were extracted from both rails.
CBP officers took custody and arrested the driver, 22-year-old Jesus Andres Gonzalez, a Mexican national from Chihuahua City. He was turned over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement HSI agents to face charges in connection with the failed smuggling attempt. 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.
