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Customs Agents Discover 150 Pounds of Marijuana in New Mexico

Columbus, N.M. - U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers working at the Columbus port of entry seized 146.5 pounds of marijuana Wednesday morning. The seized drugs have an estimated street value of $117,200.

CBP officers made the seizure just before 10 a.m. after a 1988 Chevrolet pickup truck arrived at the port from the neighboring community of Palomas, Mexico. CBP officers selected the vehicle for a secondary exam. During their search, CBP officers used a fiber optic scope to peer into the fuel tank and noticed anomalies in the appearance. CBP drug sniffing dog “Dollar” searched the vehicle and alerted his handler to the presence of narcotics.

Fuel Tank Boxes Holding 150 Pounds of Marijuana

CBP officers continued their exam by removing the fuel tank. They dismantled the tank and discovered five sealed metal boxes inside. The boxes were open revealing a total 146.5 pounds of marijuana. CBP officers arrested the driver, Ramon Humberto Magallanez, a 55-year-old U.S. resident from Douglas, Ariz. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement special agents took custody of the subject and secured federal

prosecution on drug smuggling charges.

“This seizure was a text book example of the layered enforcement CBP officers at the Columbus port utilize,” said Charles Wright, CBP Columbus port director. “CBP officer expertise, technology and canines all played a role in securing this seizure.”

In addition to the Columbus bust, CBP officers working at the El Paso port of entry made six additional marijuana seizures Wednesday totaling 170 pounds. For the second day in a row, CBP officers in El Paso intercepted two juvenile males with drugs strapped to their bodies. Both seizures occurred Wednesday night at the Ysleta port of entry and involved 15-year-old U.S. citizens who reside in Juarez. Both offenders were turned over to the El Paso Police Department for prosecution. The two seizures netted 10 pounds of marijuana.

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 generates substantial numbers of enforcement actions in all categories.