September 29, 09

NEWS / CBP Officers Stop Mother - Daughter Pair with Marijuana Filled Purses

Fabens, Texas - U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers working at the Fabens port of entry discovered marijuana in purses being carried by a 29-year-old Juarez woman and her 12-year-old daughter late Friday afternoon. CBP officers seized 4.97 pounds of marijuana in the bust.


The seizure was made just before 4 p.m. when a 2000 Ford Mustang entered the port from Mexico. While a CBP officer was obtaining a citizenship declaration from the driver and passenger of the car, CBP drug sniffing dog “Lucy” alerted to the presence of drugs in the car. CBP officers initiated an exam and when they opened the purse of the driver they spotted three tape-wrapped bundles consistent with marijuana smuggling. CBP officers noticed that the daughter was also carrying a purse and when they searched her bag they located an additional two marijuana-filled bundles.

“CBP officers have grown accustomed to seeing many odd and unusual smuggling attempts over time but this case was more troubling than most,” said Barry Miller, U.S. Customs and Border Protection Fabens port director. “As a law enforcement officer and a parent, the fact that a mother would actively involve her own child in a criminal act is disturbing.”


CBP officers remanded custody of the mother, drugs and vehicle to the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office for prosecution. The daughter was turned over to a family member.


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.

http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/newsroom/news_releases/09282009.xml