Haitian Earthquake Relief Fraud Alert

The FBI today reminds Internet users who receive appeals to donate money in the aftermath of Tuesday’s earthquake in Haiti to apply a critical eye and do their due diligence before responding to those requests. Past tragedies and natural disasters have prompted individuals with criminal intent to solicit contributions purportedly for a charitable organization and/or a good cause.

Therefore, before making a donation of any kind, consumers should adhere to certain guidelines, to include the following:

• Do not respond to any unsolicited (spam) incoming e-mails, including clicking links contained within those messages.
• Be skeptical of individuals representing themselves as surviving victims or officials asking for donations via e-mail or social networking sites.
• Verify the legitimacy of nonprofit organizations by utilizing various Internet-based resources that may assist in confirming the group’s existence and its nonprofit status rather than following a purported link to the site.
• Be cautious of e-mails that claim to show pictures of the disaster areas in attached files because the files may contain viruses. Only open attachments from known senders.
• Make contributions directly to known organizations rather than relying on others to make the donation on your behalf to ensure contributions are received and used for intended purposes.
• Do not give your personal or financial information to anyone who solicits contributions: Providing such information may compromise your identity and make you vulnerable to identity theft.

Anyone who has received an e-mail referencing the above information or anyone who may have been a victim of this or a similar incident should notify the IC3 via http://www.ic3.gov/

Forensic Microscopy Training Delivery Program Funded by the National Institute of Justice (NIJ)

The National Institute of Justice has awarded The College of Microscopy funds to train 200 forensic trace evidence examiners over a two year period. The available funds cover tuition for any of eleven select courses, and all travel, lodging and per diem expenses.

Forensic trace evidence examiners employed in state or local crime laboratories are eligible to enroll in any of the courses listed below. For course dates and descriptions, please click on the courses below.

General Microscopy Courses:
COM100: Modern Polarized Light
COM200: Scanning Electron Microscopy
COM300: Particle Isolation, Manipulation and Mounting
COM600: Infrared Microscopy (FTIR)
COM610: Raman Microscopy

Forensic Trace Evidence Courses:
COM400: Examination of Forensic Trace Evidence Particles
COM401: Hair Comparisons
COM402: Fiber Identification
COM406: Forensic Soil Examination
COM430: Identification of White-Powder Unknowns

More Information
http://www.collegeofmicroscopy.com/nij/index.asp

Board of Inquiry Report

Independent Board of Inquiry into the March 2009 murder of four Oakland Police Officers was published in December 2009. A copy is available here.

Border Patrol Agents Arrest Juvenile Carrying 22 Pound Marijuana Backpack

January 14, 2010: U.S. Border Patrol agents arrested a juvenile Wednesday who was carrying a backpack-style bundle of marijuana valued at approximately $17,792.

Border Patrol agents detected an illegal crossing of the International Boundary into the United States which led to the apprehension of a 16-year-old male who is in the country illegally. The juvenile was carrying a 22 pound bundle of marijuana on his back at the time of apprehension.

Agents brought the subject back to the Yuma Border Patrol station for processing and turned him and the marijuana over to the Imperial County Sheriff’s Office Narcotics Taskforce.

Spring 2010 Rural Law Enforcement Technology Institute

May 2-7, 2010, Coronado (San Diego), Calif.

Application Deadline: Extended! February 8, 2010

Description:
For the eighth year, the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) is sponsoring a Rural Law Enforcement Technology Institute. This technology institute will be held May 2-7, 2010, in Coronado (San Diego), Calif., and is targeted/designed for the command staff/supervisory personnel of rural and small law enforcement agencies containing fewer than 50 sworn officers. Law enforcement personnel will learn about and discuss technology initiatives and issues affecting the rural and small law enforcement community. Participants will receive information and assistance on existing and developing technologies, work through problems relating to technology implementation, and exchange technology lessons learned that are important to the rural and small law enforcement community.

As part of the program, participants are required to give a brief (no more than 15 minutes) PowerPoint presentation on a technology issue that their department has encountered or is in the process of implementing (e.g., implementation of a crime mapping program, new communications system or automated booking station). The presentation can be either an issues to be dealt with or a lessons-learned format, depending on whether the program has been completed, and must be submitted on CD-ROM with the application.

There is no registration cost and all travel, food and lodging expenses are paid. However, only 35 individuals will be selected to attend. Previous attendees of the NIJ Rural Law Enforcement Technology Institute or the NIJ Technology Institutes for Law Enforcement or Corrections are not eligible to attend.

For a copy of the application form go to:

http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/nij/training/rural-institute.htm

The deadline for submitting an application is February 1, 2010. Applications not received by that date and/or applications submitted without a CD-ROM containing the PowerPoint presentation will not be considered. The application and PowerPoint CD-ROM should be mailed to the following address:

Rural Law Enforcement Technology Center

ATTN: Rural LE Tech Institute

101 Bulldog Lane

Hazard, KY 41701

For additional information, please contact Scott Barker, Deputy Director-Rural Law Enforcement Technology Center, at (866) 787-2553 or e-mail ruletc1@aol.com.

Arizona CBP Officers Arrest Juvenile Drug Smuggler

January 12, 2010:U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at the San Luis port of entry foiled a marijuana smuggling attempt by a 16-year-old United States citizen. On January 11, the 16-year-old juvenile attempted to bypass the CBP officers by posing as a regular law abiding citizen. The officers suspected the young man was hiding something due to his demeanor and referred him into the passport control secondary office for further inspection.

In the secondary area the officers noticed a bulge around his torso area and immediately took him into custody. The packages were found to contain more than five pounds of marijuana.

The marijuana was seized and the young man was turned over to the San Luis, Ariz. Police Department for further investigation and processing.

The marijuana has an estimated street value of $11,827.20

Project Lifesaver

To help combat the issue of wandering, and the money and resources spent on excruciatingly long searches to help find those that go missing due to cognitive conditions, Project Lifesaver International started a program in 1999. Project Lifesaver is a non-profit organization that is committed to helping families quickly find their loved ones that wander due to Alzheimer's disease, autism, dementia, Down syndrome, and other cognitive conditions. Project Lifesaver trains agencies on how to search for individuals who become lost by utlitizing search and rescue techniques and equipment, as well as how to interact with individuals once they are found to help facilitate a safe escort home. Clients enrolled in the program wear a small, wrist-watch sized transmitter that emits an individualized tracking signal and should the individual wander, public safety agencies are able to rapidly locate them. These efforts have drastically reduced search and rescue times for public safety officials, and they have helped find loved ones quicker and easier with an average search time of 30 minutes or less. To date, Project Lifesaver agencies have rescued over 2,000 missing people on the program, with over 1,100 particpating public safety agencies in 45 states, Canada, and Australia. For more information, please visit http://www.projectlifesaver.org/ or call 1.877.580.LIFE(5433). - Chief Gene Saunders, Founder and CEO, Project Lifesaver International

CBP Officers in Naco Seize $51,000 in Marijuana from Center Console

January 11, 2010: U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers stopped a marijuana smuggling attempt when they seized $51,000 of marijuana concealed in the center console of a vehicle. On January 7 at about 7 a.m. CBP officers became suspicious of a 2007 Tahoe that was being driven by a 22-year-old man. The man was identified as a United States citizen and resident of Naco, Ariz. CBP officers searched the vehicle and discovered that the center console was filled with approximately 32 pounds of marijuana. The marijuana had an estimated street value of $51,000. CBP officers seized the vehicle and marijuana. The man was turned over to the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement for further investigation and prosecution.

CBP Intercepts Heroin, Marijuana at Calexico Ports Over Weekend

January 11, 2010: U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers working passenger operations at the Calexico ports over the weekend foiled three narcotic smuggling attempts worth over $200,000, officials announced today. On Sunday, January 10, at about 10:30 a.m. at the Calexico east port of entry a detector dog alerted to a blue 1988 Volkswagen Jetta as it slowly drove past. The driver, a 41-year-old male Mexican citizen and vehicle were referred for a more in-depth inspection.

The driver was escorted to a private room where a pat down was conducted for concealed weapons and contraband. The pat down resulted in the discovery of two small packages of heroin, concealed inside the driver’s shoes, weighing two pounds with a street value of $26,000.

The driver, a resident of Mexicali, was arrested for the smuggling attempt and turned over to the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents for further disposition.

The second seizure occurred later in the day at about 2 p.m. when officers arrested a 21-year-old female U.S. citizen and a 22-year-old male U.S. citizen who allegedly attempted to smuggle 80 pounds of marijuana concealed in a grey 2004 Dodge Dakota pick-up truck.

A canine officer and his detector dog were conducting an enforcement operation when the dog alerted to the Dakota pick-up truck. Officers subsequently discovered 37 wrapped packages of marijuana concealed inside the dashboard with a street value of $72,340.

The driver, a resident of El Monte, Calif., and the passenger, a resident of Los Angeles, were turned over to the custody of ICE agents for further investigation.

The largest seizure occurred on Saturday, January 9, at about 8 am at the Calexico downtown port when CBP officers arrested a 43-year-old male Mexican citizen who allegedly attempted to smuggle 138 pounds of marijuana concealed inside a green 1998 Ford Windstar van.

The driver had been referred to the secondary inspection area for further examination. Closer examination and canine screening of the vehicle resulted in the discovery of 80 wrapped packages of marijuana concealed in the vehicle’s dashboard and passenger door. The street value of the marijuana is $125,240.

The driver, a permanent resident of Calexico, was turned over to the custody of ICE agents for further disposition. CBP placed an immigration hold on the Mexican citizens to initiate possible removal from the United States at the conclusion of their criminal proceedings.

In all three incidents, CBP seized the narcotics and vehicles.

Mapping an Emergency

Making communications among first responders interoperable

Natural disasters rarely color inside the lines. Like a toddler with his first box of crayons, they leave a mess all over the map—spilling across federal, state, and local lines. To clean up, different agencies and jurisdictions must come together and share what they know. But far too often, critical information goes unseen by those who need it most: our emergency responders.

In the past, there were incidents where deficiencies in communication caused problems for the emergency response community. In one case, while the National Guard was dispatching hundreds of trucks to a hurricane-ravaged area in the Southeast, drivers were unaware of a key road closure. In another instance, a neighboring state did not receive notification that planned evacuation routes were jammed with fleeing motorists. And at times, responders hurrying to aid residents outside their jurisdictions had limited information on what local resources were available.

Even though many authorities track incident management data, these records typically are walled off from one another by incompatible computer systems, proprietary technological platforms, or simply a culture of reluctance to share information.

Recognizing this urgent predicament, the Department of Homeland Security’s Science and Technology Directorate is working on a solution. Led by Dr. David Boyd, director of the Command, Control, and Interoperability Division (CCI), and patterned after the state of Alabama’s Virtual Alabama program, the project has been dubbed “Virtual USA” (vUSA). Its goal: to create a nationwide capability to share and standardize life-saving emergency data in real time.

A collaboration among CCI, first responders, and state governments, vUSA provides a 3-D platform of interactive maps that displays the location and status of critical assets—helicopter landing sites, evacuation routes, shelters, gas supplies, water lines, power grids, and everything in between. Whether you’re a county firefighter on the scene, a state-based EMT en route, or a federal FEMA official at your desk, the system equips responders at all levels with the same richly detailed data.

This coordination makes information sharing more comprehensive and decision making more informed, which is why vUSA was included in the recently announced White House Open Government Initiative, which emphasizes transparency, participation, and collaboration.

But one of vUSA’s most exciting attributes is platform agnosticism—the ability to integrate disparate data sources seamlessly (as long as the sources use the same standards). To a layman, this might not sound like a big deal. But to a first responder, who must contend with Alabama’s preference for Google Earth, Virginia’s need for ArcGIS, and X’s comfort with Y, interoperability constitutes a revolution.

Most importantly, the price is right. Typically, when an IT department is told it needs a new software system, what it hears is a request for a large amount of money. But whereas proprietary systems can fetch up to $5 million, the enterprise license—in perpetuity—for Google Earth costs about $150,000, which makes vUSA a relative bargain.

Since February, Virtual USA has been operating as a pilot program in eight southeastern states: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia. In September, CCI met with five northwestern states (Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, Idaho, Washington, and Wyoming), followed by talks with six northeastern states (Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, and Vermont) earlier this month. The goal: to match the number of vUSA states with the number of stars on the American flag.

Yet, according to Director Boyd, standing up an interstate initiative rivals the difficulty of running it. “Just to socialize the concept of data-sharing—to get everyone communicating, to localize solutions—takes six months,” he says. But that’s not the end of the process. A plenary meeting for technical and governance matters comes next, after which a plan is designed. By this time, almost a year has passed.

Indeed, the chief challenge that vUSA faces isn’t the lack of data. It’s the lack of interoperable data. In order for data to be shared, you need to get people to share them. Put another way, mastering the software is the easy part. Getting human beings to collaborate is the hard part.

“Too many federal and state programs fall short of their potential because they’re driven from the top-down without buy-in at the local level,” Boyd continues. So in order to facilitate steadfast local participation, vUSA starts from a set of three principles:

1. You collect it; you own it. If, for example, a county funds and processes the collection of aerial photographs, then the county—not Washington—owns these data.

2. You own it; you control it. Decisions related to who the data is shared with—and when, how, and what to share—are at the discretion of the data’s owner.

3. You control it; you make the rules. Instead of having to adapt your data to accommodate others, you can continue to use your existing software and do business your way.

Shaped by this bottom-up foundation, Virtual USA is helping responders across the country to communicate better, to work together, play nice in the sandbox and share their crayons.

Contact
To request more information about any of these stories, please e-mail st.snapshots@hq.dhs.gov

GHSA Supports New Distracted Driving Organization

Statement for Attribution to Vernon F. Betkey Jr., Chairman, Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA)

Congratulations to the National Safety Council for launching FocusDriven, a new nonprofit organization that will empower distracted driving victims to transform their grief into positive action. The distracted driving issue needs to be addressed on at least three fronts -- education, enforcement and technology. FocusDriven will provide a new means to educate the public about the dangers of distracted driving and raise awareness of the issue much like MADD has done with drunk driving. It will also be an excellent resource for garnering support for legislation and will help put a face on this complex and difficult highway safety issue.

I also want to acknowledge Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood for his continued vocal leadership on distracted driving. It is unprecedented for someone in his position to be so visible on a behavioral highway safety issue. GHSA Members commend his involvement and look forward to a continued strong state and federal highway safety partnership.

CBP Officers at Port of New York/Newark Seize Stun Guns, Brass Knuckles, Switchblades

January 07, 2010: Smugglers attempted to send 100,000 stun guns, brass knuckles, and switchblade knives which they tried to misrepresent as hats, CDs, and bag hardware through the Port of Newark. On January 4, Customs and Border Protection officers in the Port of New York/Newark intercepted the packages which originated in China and were bound for Flushing, N.Y.

CBP officers had selected several shipping containers for examination, when they discovered numerous packages of stun guns, brass knuckles, switchblade knives. These items were seized not only because they posed a threat to public safety, but also violate intellectual property right laws, the “Switchblade Act,” and various other import laws.

“This seizure demonstrates the continued vigilance of our CBP officers,” said Robert E. Perez, director of Field Operations for the New York Field Office. “CBP officers in the greater New York area are committed to intercepting any threat to public safety.”

The items seized had a domestic value of nearly $250,000. The case is pending further investigation.

Comstock Agents Seize 200 Pounds of Marijuana, Arrest Gang Member

January 07, 2010: U.S. Border Patrol agents assigned to the Comstock Station seized 199 pounds of marijuana, valued at more than $150,000, Wednesday. Agents patrolling in a remote area west of Comstock, Texas encountered several individuals hiding in heavy brush near the Rio Grande River. Five Mexican nationals were taken into custody and a search of the area yielded four bundles of marijuana. Record checks revealed that one of the subjects is an active member of the “Paisas” criminal gang.

All subjects are being held at the Val Verde County Correctional Facility awaiting court appearance.

Buffalo CBP Officers Arrest Fugitive Wanted for Unlawful Sexual Activity with Minor

January 08, 2010: U.S. Customs and Border Protection Field Operations announced the apprehension of a United States citizen wanted in the state of Florida for unlawful sexual activity with a minor. On January 7, CBP officers encountered Ramon Ventura, a 45-year-old United States citizen from Land O’Lakes, Fla., as he applied for admission into the United States as a passenger in a taxi cab at the Peace Bridge border crossing in Buffalo, N.Y. Mr. Ventura had applied for entry into Canada on the same day and was being refused admission because of prior criminal convictions in the United States.

Record checks by Canadian authorities also revealed the possibility of an active warrant in the United States. Mr. Ventura was escorted by CBP officers to a secondary inspection area for further questioning and inspection.

Additional name and electronic fingerprint queries of Ventura by CBP officers verified that he was in fact the subject of an active nation-wide no bond warrant issued December 30, 2009 by the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office in Land ‘O Lakes, Fla. The warrant charges Mr. Ventura with unlawful sexual activity with a minor.

Mr. Ventura stated to CBP officers that he left Florida on or about December 30, 2009 and traveled to New York City, staying with family. He then traveled by bus from New York City to the U.S.-Canadian border to allegedly visit additional family in Toronto. The subject claimed he was not fleeing the United States in an attempt to avoid prosecution, however, CBP officers discovered various personal items not generally carried by tourists, to include bank statements and more than $13,000 in US currency, which he failed to report upon his intended departure.

CBP officers verified the validity of the warrant and confirmed extradition. Mr. Ventura was arrested and turned over to the custody of the Buffalo Police Department pending extradition to Florida. As Mr. Ventura’s failure to report the exportation of currency over $10,000 is a violation of U.S. law, CBP officers seized the $13,000.

“The subject was arrested approximately one week after the issuance of the warrant. This arrest demonstrates CBP’s close working relationship with our Canadian counterparts and state and local law enforcement departments throughout the United States,” said James T. Engleman, CBP director of Field Operations for the Buffalo Field Office.

CBP Officers in New York Apprehend Man Wanted for Aggravated Assault with Weapon

January 08, 2010: U.S. Customs and Border Protection Field Operations announced the arrest of a United States permanent resident wanted in New Jersey on aggravated assault with a weapon charges.

On January 6, CBP Field Operations officers encountered Shimon Yom Tov, a 46-year-old U.S. lawful permanent resident born in Israel, as he applied for admission into the United States at the Champlain, N.Y., port of entry. Yom Tov presented a valid Israeli passport as proof of citizenship and advised the officers that he was en route to visit an eye doctor in Philadelphia. A primary name query revealed that Yom Tov may be the subject of an active arrest warrant out of the state of New Jersey.

Yom Tov fingerprints were queried by CBP officers, confirming his identity. Additional record checks performed revealed that Yom Tov was in fact the subject of a no bond nation-wide felony warrant issued in January of 2003 by the Berlin (N.J.) Township Police Department. The warrant charges Yom Tov with aggravated assault with a weapon (sawed-off shotgun).

Further interviewing of Yom Tov revealed that after his January 2003 arrest, he fled the United States to Israel to avoid prosecution, abandoning his lawful permanent residence status in the United States. He entered Canada in November of 2009 as a visitor and has remained until his attempted entry into the United States this week.

CBP officers verified the validity of the warrant and confirmed extradition to New Jersey. Yom Tov was arrested and turned over to the custody of the New York State Police pending extradition.

Tracking and Recovery of Persons at Risk

On February 4, 2010, Conversations with American Heroes at the Watering Hole will feature a conversation with Captain Gene Saunders, Chesapeake Police Department (ret.) on the radio tracking and recovery of persons at risk.

Program Date: February 4, 2010
Program Time: 1700 Hours Pacific
Topic: Radio Tracking and Recovery of Persons at Risk
Listen Live:
http://www.hitechcj.com/americanheroesradio/radio_tracking_recovery_persons_at_risk.html

About the Project Lifesaver International
Citizens enrolled in Project Lifesaver wear a small LoJack® SafetyNet™ personal transmitter around the wrist or ankle that emits an individualized tracking signal. If an enrolled client goes missing, the caregiver notifies their local Project Lifesaver agency, and a trained emergency team responds to the wanderer's area. Most who wander are found within a few miles from home, and search times have been reduced from hours and days to minutes. Recovery times for PLI clients average 30 minutes -- 95% less time than standard operations. The Project Lifesaver Program also offers National Alzheimer’s training and certificates for interested members.

About the Guest
Captain Gene Saunders, Chesapeake Police Department (ret.) served 33 years in Patrol, Vice, Narcotics, Detectives and Training. He served in-line function and command elements of all of these units. Gene Saunders co-founded the Special Weapons and Tactics team in 1974 and served as tactical commander and commander for 23 years and over 800 operations. He served as Chief Investigator on several large multi-state, international drug conspiracy investigations. In addition to his law enforcement service, Gene Saunders also served in National Guard and State Defense force in Infantry, Airborne and Ranger Units in various leadership positions. He has been a certified instructor in Pursuit Driving, Firearms, Special Operations, Raid Planning, General Law Enforcement and Search and Rescue. He founded Project Lifesaver International in 1999 and have overseen its' growth to over 1,070 public safety organizations in 45 states; Canada and Australia.

About the Host
Lieutenant Raymond E. Foster was a sworn member of the Los Angeles Police Department for 24 years. He retired in 2003 at the rank of Lieutenant. He holds a bachelor’s from the Union Institute and University in Criminal Justice Management and a Master’s Degree in Public Financial Management from California State University, Fullerton; and, has completed his doctoral course work. Raymond E. Foster has been a part-time lecturer at California State University, Fullerton and Fresno; and is currently a Criminal Justice Department chair, faculty advisor and lecturer with the Union Institute and University. He has experience teaching upper division courses in Law Enforcement, public policy, Public Safety Technology and leadership. Raymond is an experienced author who has published numerous articles in a wide range of venues including magazines such as Government Technology, Mobile Government, Airborne Law Enforcement Magazine, and Police One. He has appeared on the History Channel and radio programs in the United States and Europe as subject matter expert in technological applications in Law Enforcement.

Listen, call, join us at the Watering Hole:
http://www.hitechcj.com/americanheroesradio/radio_tracking_recovery_persons_at_risk.html

Program Contact Information
Lieutenant Raymond E. Foster, LAPD (ret.), MPA
editor@police-writers.com
909.599.7530

CBP Pilot, Agents Thwart Smuggling Attempt at Texas Riverfront

January 07, 2010: A Customs and Border Protection helicopter yesterday led Border Patrol agents to 1,100 pounds of marijuana valued at $880,000. The marijuana apparently was being smuggled by boat to a waiting pickup when spotted near Rio Grande City, Texas. As the pilot observed several people loading bundles into a vehicle, the subjects fled the area for Mexico. The pilot informed Rio Grande City Border Patrol agents of the location of the vehicle and its contents.

Agents went to the location and discovered a 1999 Chevy pickup with 63 bundles of marijuana weighing a total of 1,100 pounds. Agents searched the area for the individuals and any additional narcotics, but had negative results.

The marijuana, with a street value of $880,000, was turned over to the Drug Enforcement Administration.

To report suspicious activity, contact the Rio Grande Valley Border Patrol Sector’s toll free telephone number at 800-863-9382.

Field Search Training Video Now Available

LECTC is pleased to announce that with the gracious assistance of Dr. Jim Tanner, we have developed a training video which provides step-by-step instruction on the use of the Field Search software.

This 67-minute video can be viewed online by going to the Field Search download page: fieldsearch.justnet.org/login.asp. Use the credentials previously provided to you in order to gain access to this page. If you do not have credentials, and are insterested in learning more about FieldSearch go to: www.justnet.org/Pages/fieldsearch.aspx.

If you have forgotten your user name and/or password, please contact Sue Kaessner at sue.kaessner@nlectc-rm.org and she will prompt the system to resend your credentials.

If you need credentials, please make a request by going to this page: fieldsearch.justnet.org/request.asp

We hope that you find this training video to be beneficial to you. As always, we welcome any comments or suggestions.

Thanks,
Joe Russo, Assistant Director

Officers Arrest Woman on Alien Smuggling Charges, Seize 6,486 Rounds of High Powered Ammunition

December 31, 2009: U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers working at the Anzalduas/Reynosa and Hidalgo/Reynosa International Bridges arrested a woman on alien smuggling charges and seized 6,486 rounds of live high powered ammunition in two separate and unrelated enforcement actions. On December 30, CBP officers working at the Anzalduas/Reynosa International Bridge came in contact with a northbound 2003 Pontiac Grand Am sedan. The driver was identified as Iris Cristal Sanchez Hernandez, a Mexican citizen, age 25 from Rio Grande City, Texas and was accompanied by a 5-year-old boy and a 3-year-old girl.

At primary, Sanchez Hernandez presented U.S. birth certificates for the children and identified them as U.S. citizens. After the initial primary inspection, Sanchez Hernandez and the two children were referred to secondary for further inspection. In secondary, CBP officers established that the children were not U.S. citizens but citizens of Mexico. CBP officers arrested Sanchez Hernandez on federal alien smuggling charges. Pending appearance before a U.S. Magistrate, Sanchez Hernandez remains incarcerated. The children are in temporary custody awaiting release to biological parents. CBP officers seized the Pontiac Grand Am sedan.

On December 30, CBP officers working outbound enforcement operations at the Hidalgo/Reynosa southbound lanes came in contact with a 2003 Chevy Silverado pickup truck. The vehicle was traveling south and was headed into Mexico. The driver, identified as Luz Sylvia Cortez, a U.S. citizen, age 33 from Hidalgo, Texas was accompanied by her 14-year-old daughter and by Claudia Janeth Trevino Martinez, a Mexican citizen, age 24 from Reynosa, Tamaulipas, Mexico. A CBP officer referred the Silverado pickup truck, driver and passengers to secondary for further inspection.

In secondary, officers found 20 rounds of high powered ammunition hidden under Trevino Martinez’s clothing. Officers found additional amounts of ammunition hidden in a personal handbag and in three other bags. In the bed of the pickup truck, officers found more ammunition hidden in a quilt, in a toaster oven and in six soft drink cartons.

In total, CBP officers seized 1,996 rounds of .223 caliber ammunition, 1,490 rounds of .308 caliber ammunition and 3,000 rounds of 7.62 caliber ammunition. CBP officers arrested Cortez and Trevino Martinez on a federal charge of unlicensed export of items on the U.S. munitions list. The 14-year-old girl was released to a family member. After their arrest, both Cortez and Trevino Martinez were transferred to the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement special agents who continue to investigate this seizure. Pending appearance before a U.S. Magistrate, both women remain incarcerated. CBP officers seized 2003 Chevy pickup truck.

Hector A. Mancha, CBP port director, Hidalgo/Pharr/Anzalduas said, “The alien smuggling case at the Anzalduas International Bridge is being recorded as the first child smuggling case for this international bridge.” Mancha further said, “I commend our cadre of officers for their enforcement work in this smuggling case and for intercepting this large amount of ammunition that was headed into Mexico.”

Officers Find a Pound of Marijuana on Juvenile in Douglas

January 04, 2010: U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers stopped a marijuana smuggling attempt when CBP officers detected $1,800 of marijuana being smuggled by a juvenile.On January 2 at about 9 p.m. CBP officers were screening travelers when they became suspicious of a 15-year-old boy who was identified as a United States citizen and resident of Douglas. Further investigation revealed that the boy had about a pound of marijuana taped to his leg. The marijuana had an estimated street value of $1,800.

CBP officers seized the marijuana. The boy was turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement for further questioning. The boy was released to the custody of his parents.