October 1, 09

NEWS / Tires of Vehicle Inspected by Brownsville CBP Contain $100,000 in Marijuana

Brownsville, Texas - U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at the Brownsville and Matamoros International Bridge discovered marijuana concealed within the tires of a Jeep Grand Cherokee; one female Mexican citizen was arrested.


On Sunday September 27, at the Brownsville and Matamoros International Bridge, CBP officers working enforcement operations encountered a red 1993 Jeep Grand Cherokee driven by 27-year-old Maria Guadalupe Calderon Salas, a Mexican citizen and resident of Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico. A CBP officer referred the Jeep to secondary for an intensified inspection. During the secondary examination CBP officers noticed discrepancies to the tires of the Grand Cherokee. “Misha,” a narcotic detector dog, further alerted officers to the odor of narcotics emanating from the Jeep Grand Cherokee.


CBP officers conducting an intensive inspection of the tires discovered metal containers affixed within each of the four tires on the Jeep. CBP officers removed the metal containers from each tire which revealed at total of 16 packages that contained compressed marijuana. A total of close to 100 pounds of marijuana was removed from the tires.


The marijuana from this seizure has an estimated street value of close to $100,000. CBP officers arrested Maria Guadalupe Calderon Salas and subsequently turned her over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement special agents who investigated the seizure and will process Maria Guadalupe Calderon Salas on federal drug charges.


“Brownsville CBP officers, our K-9 team and the use of high-tech tools greatly contributed to this significant seizure and the arrest of the driver. As CBP officers secure the border they encounter smuggling attempts, make arrests and seize dangerous narcotics. This was a great enforcement action by CBP on the frontline,” said Michael Freeman, CBP port director, Brownsville.

http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/newsroom/news_releases/09302009.xml