- 9 hours ago
Contraband: Seized At The Border - Season 8 Episode 1 - 6-7 Hundred
Category
🎥
Short filmTranscript
00:00At the San Ysidro Port of Entry,
00:25the officers of Customs and Border Protection
00:28fight a constant battle against drug smugglers
00:31working for the Mexican cartels.
00:37As evening draws near,
00:40Officer Orozco decides to search a bus.
00:43The vehicle isn't carrying any passengers,
00:46and the young driver is aroused suspicion.
00:50His story's pretty vague.
00:52He doesn't really know what's going on with his own bus,
00:54specifically the gas tank.
00:56He doesn't really know how to operate that door.
00:58So that's a pretty good indicator
00:59that he could just be hiding something there.
01:03The bus is x-rayed.
01:09There's definitely something there,
01:10because I can see the separation.
01:13Officers spot a faint shadow within the fuel tank.
01:16Specialized contractors are called in
01:24to drain the 185 gallons of fuel.
01:35Once empty, the tank is removed.
01:42And underneath...
01:59Wow.
02:00There we go.
02:01Oh, yeah.
02:02That's an access panel.
02:04They find a trap door.
02:06Now we just got to open it
02:08and see if there's anything in there.
02:10Okay.
02:15Four, three, nine, seconder.
02:17We found something.
02:18Mike, Mike.
02:19Go ahead.
02:20It's positive.
02:21Are we going to be quick to jail?
02:22We have to do what we have to do.
02:24Progresso International Bridge.
02:44Thousands of U.S. citizens cross here every day
02:58to buy discounted medication in Mexico.
03:01Let me see the medication that you have.
03:04Anything controlled that you have.
03:08Meds can be up to 70% cheaper over the border,
03:11but must always be declared upon return.
03:18A lot of people are going for the dentist medication,
03:24the doctors, pedicures, and tacos, really.
03:28That's all I keep hearing.
03:30Hello.
03:30Hello.
03:31U.S. citizens, guys?
03:32Yes, ma'am.
03:33Any medications y'all are bringing back, like Tromadon?
03:35I know they tried to sell it to you.
03:37You didn't give in?
03:38No.
03:38No?
03:38You need a few officers to sit.
03:42Side-down.
03:43It's late afternoon.
03:46Officer Zavala has just received intel
03:48about a man behaving suspiciously on the bridge.
03:53A traveler informed the CBP officer
03:55that they noticed that this male subject,
03:58before making entry,
03:59he was placing something inside his pockets,
04:02and it looked very strange.
04:03And he said, hey, I noticed that this man that's coming in
04:07and he looks like this.
04:07You guys might want to check him out.
04:11Soon, a man matching the description arrives
04:14and is brought in for inspection.
04:18Now we have this male subject.
04:32He's waiting to be inspected,
04:34and he appears to be very nervous.
04:35And officers quickly discovered undeclared vials
04:46hidden in his pockets and in his boots.
04:48Synthetic testosterone is a steroid sometimes used
05:00to increase muscle mass
05:02and improve athletic and sexual performance.
05:06Right on the other side.
05:07Since it's a controlled medication,
05:11failing to declare it at the border
05:12is a criminal offense.
05:15This man is now facing a hefty fine
05:18or even jail.
05:20What was your purpose for going to Mexico today?
05:23Therapeutic to pick up, you know.
05:25At the San Ysidro Port of Entry,
05:43Officer Orozco is leading the search of a bus.
05:47That's an access panel.
05:48Now we just got to open it
05:49and see if there's anything in there.
05:51Officers have spotted an unusual panel
05:55on the underside of the fuel tank.
05:58It looks like you can actually see the weld marks.
06:00It looks like it's cut inside the tank.
06:03Leading them to believe
06:04it has been modified to hide narcotics.
06:09There's an access panel
06:10that you just use a screwdriver to take it off.
06:13Whatever they have in there,
06:14they can load it up, take it out.
06:21Wow, another one.
06:25It's like a second one.
06:26It's literally a tank within a tank.
06:29I've never seen that.
06:31That's crazy.
06:45Wow.
06:46Another one.
06:47Behind the second panel
06:52is what looks like a glass tank.
06:56Tank within a tank.
06:58Those are cellophane packages.
07:00That is definitely not supposed to be in there.
07:04Cellophane packages
07:06consistent with narcotics mingling.
07:07That's a brick right there.
07:24Wow, that's heavy.
07:25Insane.
07:26I haven't seen packages this big
07:28in my entire career.
07:31Just throw it on top.
07:33There you go.
07:3440.
07:3440.
07:34And as the packages are removed,
07:38it soon becomes clear
07:39that this is a huge
07:41and unprecedented load.
07:45In my experience,
07:47the size of the pricks
07:48and how well packed they are.
07:51It's going to be hard narco.
07:52Probably fentanyl, cocaine,
07:54something like that.
07:55Feels great.
07:57Exactly why we're here.
07:58What's the percentage of it?
08:0020%.
08:0020%?
08:02Yeah.
08:02Oh, my God.
08:03At Progresso International Bridge in Texas.
08:23He's smuggling testosterone?
08:27Yeah, for a while.
08:27Officers are questioning a man
08:30caught smuggling controlled steroid medication
08:33across the border.
08:36During the pat-down,
08:37he had undeclared testosterone vials
08:39in his boot area
08:40and his pocket areas.
08:41The man says he uses the testosterone
08:58to boost his performance.
09:01Although small amounts
09:03can legally be brought across the border,
09:06the man has made a mistake
09:07by not declaring it.
09:09They're adults.
09:12They know what they're doing.
09:13When someone hides it
09:14or conceals it
09:14from CBP officers' inspection,
09:16at that point,
09:17it will be considered smuggling.
09:20I have a prescription for it on my vehicle.
09:23More than half of it,
09:23come back and give it to you.
09:27Unfortunately,
09:28we cannot do that
09:29because of the method
09:30you were concealing.
09:31It's just cheaper down here.
09:33I know.
09:33He voluntarily says,
09:35I can go get the prescription
09:36from my vehicle.
09:37I explained to him
09:38that it's no longer valid
09:40because of the method
09:40he was smuggling that testosterone.
09:43Now that Officer Zavala
09:45is satisfied the man
09:46intentionally failed
09:47to declare the medication,
09:49she needs to decide
09:51what will happen to him next.
09:53He seems to have regretted
10:19the mistake he did,
10:20but we have to follow through.
10:21And as of now,
10:23it will lead into prosecution.
10:26Trust me,
10:26I'm going to try
10:27to save money again.
10:28Yeah.
10:29How much does it cost you
10:30in the U.S.?
10:31About $300.
10:33How much did you pay
10:34for the motor?
10:35$80.
10:38The man's attempt
10:39at saving money
10:40has come at a huge cost.
10:44Smuggling controlled medication
10:45can result in fines
10:47of thousands of dollars
10:48and up to 10 years in jail.
10:51Local police officers arrive
10:54and escort him
10:55for further questioning.
10:57Many people,
10:58they know they talk,
11:00they pass the word around.
11:02They may think it's easier
11:03just to smuggle it.
11:04We don't know
11:05if he has done it before.
11:06I mean,
11:07we don't know
11:07if it's the first time,
11:08but I'm sure
11:09he'll learn his lesson.
11:10in San Ysidro.
11:27Wow.
11:28Oh, of course.
11:31There we go.
11:32Those are cellophane packages.
11:35That is definitely
11:35not supposed to be in there.
11:36Officers have found
11:39a secret compartment
11:40inside the fuel tank
11:41of a charter bus
11:42loaded with suspicious packages.
11:46In my experience,
11:49it's going to be hard narco,
11:50probably fentanyl, cocaine,
11:51something like that.
11:54I think we're done.
11:56Now it's empty.
12:07This is how it was secured
12:09to the glass tank
12:10with these wedges over here.
12:13They could have used
12:14on makeshift hardware
12:15to secure it
12:16to the sides
12:17of the square.
12:18At first glance,
12:19it looks something
12:20like electric tape,
12:22but obviously,
12:22they put some type
12:23of adhesive
12:24that would have allowed
12:26it to endure
12:26moisture conditions.
12:29The box total is 22.
12:3122.
12:3227.
12:3327.
12:3525.
12:3725.
12:37Let's put it on top.
12:39149, Barry.
12:41With 149 bundles recovered,
12:44this has been
12:45a highly successful search.
12:48I personally
12:49have not seen bundles
12:50that thick.
12:51It's a very good feeling.
12:52It's a good learning experience
12:53and what to look out
12:54for for other buses
12:55that are probably
12:56doing the same thing.
12:57That's probably why
12:57we haven't seen it.
12:58We haven't caught it.
12:59The bricks
13:00are immediately field tested
13:02by Officer Moreno.
13:05It's a white powdery substance.
13:09Its consistency
13:10is similar to cocaine.
13:11For this particular field test,
13:22it should be a mixture
13:23of blue and pink.
13:24It will indicate
13:25that it tested positive.
13:30And it does.
13:31We have a color affirmation
13:33for pink and blue.
13:36The positive for cocaine.
13:37It is positive.
13:40We just confirmed it
13:41right now,
13:42the field test kit.
13:44The cocaine
13:45was likely shipped
13:46by one of Mexico's
13:47powerful drug cartels,
13:49who went to great lengths
13:51to engineer a hiding place
13:52that they hoped
13:54would evade detection.
13:58What I noticed
13:58after they took
13:59the tank out,
14:00this is just
14:01a piece of plywood.
14:02There should not be
14:03a piece of plywood
14:04under a gas tank.
14:05That's probably
14:06a fire hazard.
14:07But,
14:08if you lift it,
14:10you can see
14:12tack welds right here.
14:14These welds,
14:15that's more than likely
14:16they cut
14:17the sheet metal off
14:19so they could access
14:20the access panel
14:21under the tank
14:22and get to the drugs.
14:23So they were going
14:24from underneath.
14:26These panels
14:27right here,
14:28they're very thin.
14:31You can kind of push on.
14:32So they more than likely
14:34just lifted it
14:35all the way down
14:37to access
14:39that panel underneath.
14:41And then they rewelded
14:42it back together.
14:44The huge load
14:46is weighing.
14:48It came back
14:49as all being cocaine.
14:51After weighing
14:52the 149 packages,
14:54we got over
14:55221 kilos
14:56confirmed.
14:57The drugs
15:00have a street value
15:02of a staggering
15:03six and a half million dollars.
15:07The young driver,
15:08likely employed
15:09by the cartel,
15:11could be looking
15:11at 20 years
15:12behind bars.
15:16It's definitely
15:17the reason why
15:18I'm on this team.
15:19That's kind of my thing.
15:21I get the adrenaline rush
15:22out of
15:23finding dope.
15:24And I've been
15:26on this unit
15:26for about four years now.
15:28That's an amazing day.
15:29That's an amazing day,
15:30but you know what?
15:31We'll be back tomorrow
15:31to do it again.
15:36For rest.
15:40For rest.
15:41AQI referring a vehicle
16:10to lane three.
16:12350 million people
16:14cross the U.S.-Mexico border
16:15each year.
16:26And some
16:27bring extra passengers
16:29along for the ride.
16:32I've seen all kinds
16:33of animals.
16:34Recently,
16:35there was a monkey,
16:37other things like
16:38reptiles.
16:39I grabbed
16:40the sock once.
16:40I didn't know
16:41what it was.
16:41I picked it up,
16:42started moving.
16:42It was a couple
16:43of anacondas.
16:50Today,
16:51Officer Fuentes
16:52has stopped
16:53a family,
16:54attempting
16:55to cross back
16:56into the U.S.
16:57with a furry friend.
17:00Oh,
17:00that's so cute.
17:01Does it have a name?
17:02Yeah,
17:02I have a name.
17:03Larry.
17:03Larry.
17:03Larry the ferret
17:11has been on a road
17:12trip to Mexico
17:13and is now
17:14returning home
17:15to the United States.
17:17Actually,
17:18that ferret
17:18from Atlanta,
17:19Georgia,
17:20so they came down,
17:21they went to Mexico,
17:22they did their business,
17:23they're coming back.
17:25Due to the threat
17:26of diseases,
17:27such as rabies,
17:28there are strict
17:30requirements
17:30for animals
17:31that cross the border.
17:33Those classed
17:34as wildlife
17:34rather than pets
17:36face even tougher rules.
17:41Officer Fuentes
17:41needs to establish
17:43whether ferrets
17:44are considered
17:45domestic
17:45or wild animals.
17:48We're looking
17:49to see
17:49if the actual
17:50animal is a type
17:51of animal
17:52that can be brought
17:52across,
17:53like a cat,
17:54like a pet,
17:55dog,
17:56or even a rabbit.
17:58I'm going to
17:58check it out
17:58because I don't
17:59know what it is,
17:59really.
18:02Officers make a call
18:03to the Fish
18:04and Wildlife Service.
18:07Okay,
18:07jump on.
18:08Jump on.
18:09All right.
18:10If they decide
18:11Larry doesn't qualify
18:12to enter the U.S.,
18:14the couple
18:15will have to turn
18:16back to Mexico.
18:20We look
18:20at this paperwork
18:21to see if all
18:22the meds are up-to-date
18:23and we'll see
18:24what they say.
18:25CBP officers
18:27are on constant lookout
18:46for felons attempting
18:48to cross in
18:49and out
18:49of the country.
18:50On average,
18:5486 wanted criminals
18:55are apprehended
18:56at U.S. borders
18:57every day.
18:59We see that
19:00all the time
19:00where somebody
19:01might not have
19:02traveled for
19:03six months
19:04by warrant
19:05on the record.
19:07And for whatever
19:09reason,
19:09they don't think
19:10customs checks
19:11when they come
19:11back through.
19:13So we run them
19:14a fingerprint,
19:15confirm the warrant,
19:16and then
19:17they're here
19:18overnight.
19:19When background
19:21checks indicate
19:22someone is wanted,
19:23officers immediately
19:25detain them.
19:37Today,
19:38at Progresso
19:39International Bridge,
19:41a man has been
19:42flagged as having
19:42an active arrest warrant.
19:44The officers notice
19:51the man has been
19:52injured.
19:52He's intoxicated,
19:54but we also know
19:55that he has blood
19:55coming from his nose.
19:57Do you have any
19:57injuries, sir,
19:58in your body,
19:59anything like that?
19:59Shoulder bed,
20:00shoulder bed.
20:01Right here?
20:01Your left?
20:03This one right here?
20:04Okay.
20:04What happened to your nose?
20:05You're bleeding.
20:06Since they don't
20:09have any information
20:10about the man's
20:11alleged crime,
20:12Officer Contu
20:13is assigned
20:14to investigate.
20:17Fingerprints confirms
20:17if that's the person
20:18we were looking for
20:20and that.
20:22It will show that
20:22he has an outstanding
20:23warrant on his print,
20:24too.
20:25But in order to ensure
20:27they have the right
20:27person,
20:29he will need
20:29to be identified.
20:30He claims to have
20:56crossed the border
20:57for a meal
20:58and appears
20:59to have returned
21:00intoxicated.
21:03Let me take
21:03your prints first,
21:04man,
21:04so I can put you
21:05in the cell.
21:05What's my reasoning?
21:07Let me take your prints
21:08so I can put you
21:09in the cell.
21:10The suspect refuses
21:12to have his fingerprints
21:13taken.
21:14I don't know
21:14what's going on,
21:15actually.
21:15I'm trying to cross
21:16the border
21:16and I'm normally...
21:18Come on, man.
21:19Nothing, nothing wrong.
21:20Come on.
21:22Come on.
21:23Come on, man.
21:28I just need
21:28to take your prints.
21:29That's it.
21:29Okay.
21:35Sorry.
21:36You're going to take
21:37your prints or not?
21:37Yeah, I'm going to...
21:38I don't know what's going
21:39on.
21:40Well, you don't let me
21:41explain to you.
21:41Okay, go ahead.
21:43I'm trying to...
21:44I need to take your prints
21:45to make sure if it's you
21:47that want it or not want it.
21:48I need to take your prints
21:49first before anything else.
21:50Oh, I'm fine.
21:51If you're going to be
21:52not letting me,
21:54then you can stay here
21:54until you're ready.
21:55Okay.
21:56Okay.
21:57Come on.
21:57With the man
21:58refusing to comply,
22:00he will now have to
22:01sober up
22:02in a cell.
22:03AOL on the lane
22:19floor, AOL.
22:21In Texas,
22:22a family returning
22:24to the U.S.
22:25is under inspection
22:26because they're
22:27accompanied
22:27by a ferret.
22:29Oh, that's so cute.
22:32Does he have a name?
22:32Larry.
22:33Larry?
22:36Officer Fuentes
22:37is awaiting confirmation
22:38from the U.S.
22:40Fish and Wildlife Service
22:41that ferrets
22:42are classed
22:43as domestic pets.
22:46If not,
22:47then Larry
22:47will be considered
22:48a wild animal
22:49and is likely
22:51to be refused entry.
22:53If it's kind of like a...
22:55I would say...
22:56I shouldn't say exotic,
22:57but not a very usual animal,
22:59unfortunately,
23:00some people,
23:01they try to go into Mexico,
23:02they try to come back.
23:03Well, that's a problem.
23:05We have to pick
23:05those animals up.
23:11As he waits
23:12for an answer
23:12on Larry's status,
23:14Officer Fuentes
23:15checks the couple's
23:16other paperwork.
23:21They had all their papers.
23:26They had the vet papers
23:27from this side,
23:27and all the rabies vaccine,
23:30all the meds
23:30are up-to-date.
23:32Soon,
23:33Fish and Wildlife
23:33calls back.
23:35All right, thank you.
23:36They confirm
23:37that ferrets
23:38are classed
23:39as domestic pets.
23:41Okay,
23:42check out.
23:42Ferrets are good to go.
23:48Larry is now free
23:51to pass back
23:52into the U.S.
23:57We don't get a lot
23:59of ferrets around here.
24:01I've been here
24:01for a while,
24:02been like 31 years,
24:03and it's probably
24:04my third ferret,
24:04actually.
24:06That's pretty neat.
24:07Oh, traffic,
24:25primary, primary.
24:26Oh, traffic.
24:29In Progresso,
24:31officers have detained
24:33a man who was believed
24:34to be wanted.
24:38Go on.
24:39The suspect
24:40is intoxicated
24:41and has so far
24:43refused to have
24:43his fingerprints taken.
24:46I need to take
24:47your prints
24:47to make sure
24:49if it's you
24:49that's wanted
24:50or not wanted.
24:51If you're going
24:51to be not letting me,
24:53then you can stay here
24:54until you're ready.
24:56Until he has his prints,
24:58Officer Cantu
24:59is unable
24:59to confirm
25:00whether the man
25:00is definitely
25:01the person named
25:02on the warrant.
25:05Are you going to do it,
25:06yes or no?
25:06Yes, sir.
25:07Okay, come on.
25:08I don't need to do it.
25:09I'm trying to go home.
25:10Okay.
25:11Right here.
25:11Left hand.
25:15Come on, man.
25:18Relax your hand.
25:20Step back a little bit.
25:21Sure.
25:23Look at the camera.
25:24Sure.
25:24So it's going to take
25:37about 20 minutes
25:38for me to confirm
25:38if it's you or not,
25:39all right?
25:42Do you know
25:42you have anything
25:43pending, man?
25:43Any order?
25:44I don't.
25:46You don't?
25:47You've been arrested,
25:47lady?
25:48No.
25:49You have no idea.
25:50You don't have court pending.
25:51You don't have anything
25:52pending,
25:52any charges.
25:53No arrest, baby.
25:56From my personal self?
25:57No, sir.
25:59I'll let you know
25:59as soon as I know.
26:00Okay.
26:02Officer Khantou
26:03soon hears back
26:04from McAllen TD.
26:06The fingerprints
26:07were a match.
26:10The subject
26:10has five outstanding
26:11warrants for,
26:12one for methamphetamine,
26:14hydrocannabis,
26:15synthetic cannabis,
26:17possession of
26:18drugs,
26:19and
26:20possession of
26:22delivery.
26:23five outstanding
26:24warrants
26:25at this time.
26:27McAllen PD
26:28did confirm
26:28that we'll be
26:29coming and
26:30picking up the subject.
26:32Despite the man's
26:33claims of ignorance,
26:35it appears he's
26:36been arrested
26:36multiple times
26:38for a variety
26:39of drug offenses.
26:40just so you know,
26:42my kind of PD
26:43is becoming
26:43harder.
26:44What's my charge?
26:45You have five outstanding
26:47warrants.
26:47I have warrants?
26:49Yes.
26:49My name?
26:50Out of my
26:50credit.
26:51What's the warrants
26:52for?
26:54There's five different
26:55ones, man.
26:56For myself?
26:56Yes.
26:57For methamphetamine,
26:59cannabis.
27:01For my name?
27:02For your name.
27:03I have warrants.
27:03Your pranks.
27:04So, I mean,
27:05if you have an attorney,
27:06whatever you need,
27:06you can deal with that
27:08when you get over there.
27:09I'm just letting you know
27:10what's going to happen.
27:12Most of these guys,
27:13they all claim
27:14the same thing.
27:14They have no idea
27:15they had a pending
27:16warrant.
27:17Some say they weren't
27:18notified,
27:19they didn't get a letter
27:19for whatever reason,
27:22but some will admit,
27:23some won't.
27:24Like, this guy,
27:24he's just plain saying
27:26he has no idea
27:27what happened.
27:28McAllen Police
27:29Department arrives
27:30to take the man
27:31into custody.
27:32Have a good night,
27:33most of them.
27:33All right, man.
27:34Have a good night.
27:35Good luck, man.
27:38He will appear
27:41before a judge
27:42in the morning
27:42where he'll have
27:44to answer
27:44for his alleged crimes.
27:58Drug cartels
27:59employ all kinds
28:01of techniques
28:01to evade detection.
28:03Yes, two problems.
28:05Tangled.
28:05But their most
28:07common strategy
28:08is to conceal
28:09narcotics deep
28:11within a vehicle.
28:13Algo para aclarar?
28:14Armas, drogas,
28:14municiones?
28:15No.
28:15Okay.
28:16Gracias.
28:19To try to catch
28:20them in the act,
28:21tonight,
28:22Officer Sarayan
28:23and his team
28:24are conducting
28:25an operation,
28:27randomly selecting cars
28:28for detailed inspections.
28:30This is a great
28:33operation to do
28:33because people
28:34don't expect it.
28:36If they see
28:36any sort of signs
28:37of tampering
28:37or a person
28:38looks a little suspicious,
28:39a random x-ray screening
28:40to see if there's
28:41any sort of contraband
28:42in the car.
28:44We've caught a lot
28:45of people doing this
28:46and I think
28:47it's a great operation.
28:48I love it.
28:50It's 8.30
28:51in the evening
28:52and a vehicle
28:53arriving from Mexico
28:54has been stopped.
28:55With a strange smell
29:12coming from
29:12within the car,
29:14Officer Sarayan
29:15questions the driver
29:16and passenger.
29:24They're teenagers
29:25who claim
29:26to have been
29:26visiting relatives.
29:37He was a little
29:38shaky on me
29:38when I asked him
29:39how long they've been
29:39together.
29:40He had to look at her
29:40for like approval.
29:42Kind of suspicious.
29:43And also I just got
29:44a red flag from the girl.
29:45She went like this.
29:46Like for me,
29:47like how I see that
29:47is does she not
29:49want to be seen with him?
29:50Is that really her boyfriend?
29:51I always say if you lie,
29:52you can lie about anything
29:53because that's just
29:54how people work.
29:55Okay.
29:56The car will be searched.
30:02Deja las llaves,
30:03deja las llaves.
30:04Traes algo en los bolsitas,
30:05navajas, algo efectivo?
30:09Okay.
30:10Solo van a esperar adentro.
30:11Okay.
30:12Oh, esperar adentro a la oficina.
30:13Okay.
30:15Oh, this car is now.
30:19Oh my God.
30:20It smells like rotten eggs.
30:25It smells like something
30:26died in that car.
30:28With the powerful stench
30:30making it difficult
30:30to even inspect the vehicle,
30:33Officer Diaz arrives to assist.
30:37This is probably one of the
30:39stinkiest car
30:40I've ever been inside.
30:41It got like a rotten egg smell to it.
30:48The smell is there.
30:50I just cannot pinpoint
30:51where it's coming from.
30:54Honestly, it smells like
30:57a public bathroom.
30:58And this smells is not
31:00something normal.
31:03Although there's nothing
31:04illegal about the smell,
31:06officers want to identify
31:07the source
31:08in case there's
31:09an illicit explanation.
31:12It's definitely
31:13on the chemical side,
31:15but at the same time
31:16it feels organic.
31:18Officer Diaz
31:19questions the couple
31:20to see if they can shed
31:21any light
31:22on the mysterious odor.
31:25Are you the ones
31:26with the black Cadillac?
31:28Already, I just need you
31:29to stay seated for a moment.
31:30But their answers
31:31only add to his suspicions.
31:34They say that,
31:35what are you talking about?
31:36The car doesn't smell.
31:37Which it really does.
31:39The smell is definitely
31:40coming from the driver's side.
31:43Ugh.
31:58Sade, release traffic.
32:07Each year,
32:15half a million firearms
32:16are smuggled
32:17from the United States
32:18into Mexico,
32:19where the laws
32:20on gun ownership
32:21are much stricter.
32:24Going outbound
32:25towards Mexico,
32:26we're going to be looking
32:26for firearms,
32:28ammunitions.
32:28We might have
32:29a camper
32:30full of stuff
32:32all the way to the top.
32:33So our officers
32:33have to, you know,
32:34check every single thing,
32:35make sure they're not
32:36hiding in some
32:37certain places.
32:38You know,
32:38our officers work hard
32:39and they try to
32:39check thoroughly everything.
32:41Smuggled firearms
32:42typically go straight
32:44into the hands
32:45of the cartels.
32:46And it's become
32:47such a problem,
32:49the Mexican border
32:50has earned the nickname
32:51the Iron River.
32:53This evening,
32:59Officer Garcia
33:00is carrying out
33:02checks on a driver
33:02with a heavily loaded van.
33:05We do for sure
33:06need to check them out.
33:08So we're hoping
33:08to find anything,
33:09firearms,
33:10ammunition,
33:11ammo,
33:12anything that we can find
33:13that we can seize.
33:14As the officers
33:15run items
33:16through the X-ray scanner,
33:18the driver
33:18appears nervous.
33:20Nothing is standing out,
33:44but Officer Garcia
33:46still has to work
33:47his way to the bottom.
33:48Negative on these.
33:55With so many items
33:57in the van,
33:59K-9,
34:00second turn,
34:00please.
34:01Officer, second turn.
34:04A K-9
34:05is brought in
34:06to speed up the search.
34:07Yeah, you're fine.
34:08Yeah.
34:10We had our boxes
34:11lined up
34:12and we let our K-9
34:13take a little whack
34:14at it,
34:15see what they could
34:15maybe hit on something.
34:18The dog
34:20begins to show interest
34:21and alerts on a bag
34:28by sitting down.
34:32All right,
34:32let's see what we got.
34:37There it is.
34:39The bag is full of weapon parts.
34:57Officers immediately detain
34:59the driver.
34:59in Hidalgo, Texas.
35:112020,
35:12Shabby,
35:13trail later.
35:15Officers
35:16Sarion and Diaz
35:17are investigating
35:18a foul-smelling car.
35:22Honestly,
35:22it smells like
35:23a public bathroom.
35:24And
35:25this smells
35:25is not
35:26something normal.
35:27with no obvious
35:29source of the odor.
35:31It's definitely
35:32on the chemical side,
35:33but at the same time
35:34it feels organic.
35:37Officers now suspect
35:38it may have been
35:39deliberately planted
35:40in order to mask
35:42the smell of narcotics
35:43from the K-9s.
35:47They usually try
35:48to deter
35:48on the narcotics itself.
35:51They'll wrap it in
35:51like the dryer sheets
35:53and stuff like that
35:54and like pour
35:55like maybe
35:55like food on it,
35:56something like that,
35:57you know,
35:57just to like
35:58deter the dog
35:58from smoking narcotics.
36:02But these tactics
36:03rarely work.
36:06K-9,
36:07secondary.
36:0810-4.
36:0810-4.
36:10The K-9 unit arrives
36:12to check over
36:12the vehicle.
36:13It's like,
36:14uh-uh.
36:16No,
36:16it's called nasty.
36:17It's like,
36:18wait.
36:19No.
36:19The smell
36:20is definitely
36:21coming from
36:21the driver's side.
36:22You think K-9
36:23is melting?
36:23Just a dash
36:25to the dash.
36:28Although it doesn't
36:29indicate,
36:30the dog shows
36:31interest in the
36:32dashboard.
36:33We're going to
36:34try to get it
36:35through the X-ray
36:35to see if there's
36:37something inside
36:37the frame
36:38or something hiding.
36:41The car is
36:42sent through
36:42the X-ray.
36:49I don't know
36:49how much
36:50I'm going to
36:50drive here.
36:52I went to
36:52battery.
36:53That's the battery.
37:00That's the
37:01air for your...
37:02Gotcha.
37:03All righty.
37:04Thank you, guys.
37:05The X-ray was
37:06pretty clear.
37:07There was
37:07nothing organic
37:08or nothing hidden
37:09within the frame
37:10of the vehicle.
37:11After doing
37:12my physical inspection,
37:13after knowing K-9
37:14was negative as well,
37:16and taking it
37:17to the X-ray machine,
37:18I'm pretty satisfied
37:19with, like,
37:19the result
37:20that there was
37:20nothing there.
37:21Although the vehicle
37:24is clear
37:24of any contraband,
37:26Officer Diaz
37:27is convinced
37:28it may have been
37:28a test
37:29in an attempt
37:30to literally
37:31throw officers
37:33off the scent.
37:35I do believe
37:36that this was just
37:37a test run
37:38to see if we were
37:38going to inspect
37:39the vehicle
37:39in what areas
37:40we were going
37:40to be searching.
37:42Over my five-year career,
37:44I never have
37:44anything like that
37:45with that smell
37:46that strong.
38:03Bravo, give us one mic.
38:04At the Camino Real
38:07International Bridge.
38:09So right here,
38:10you have, like,
38:11a barrel,
38:12one barrel,
38:14and then right
38:16about here,
38:17you have one pistol.
38:19A driver with a van
38:20heavily loaded
38:21with goods
38:22has been detained
38:23after a scan
38:25of a bag
38:26revealed a gun.
38:28We're going to go
38:28take it inside
38:29and verify everything.
38:30Yes, sir.
38:36The gift
38:37don't keep on giving.
38:43Officer Garcia
38:44inspects
38:45the contents
38:46of the bag
38:46more closely.
38:55One.
39:00This one
39:05looks like
39:06it's wrapped
39:06in a jean.
39:20That's a rifle bearer.
39:24Gun.
39:25Hats.
39:26And also
39:27a little
39:28poster for it.
39:30Small caliber.
39:34More like
39:34for personal defense.
39:38The search
39:39reveals a small pistol
39:40and the disassembled
39:42parts of a rifle
39:43in a clear attempt
39:44to conceal it.
39:47Rem oil,
39:48fire arm lubricant.
39:49Nice.
39:52The actual
39:53official count
39:53for what we see
39:54today is
39:55one rifle,
39:56one pistol,
39:57and one scope.
39:58The officers
40:00checked that the guns
40:01aren't stolen.
40:03What would you say
40:04the one
40:05brand of this is?
40:06Or...
40:06And confirmed
40:08their street value.
40:10So as of right now,
40:11the guns aren't reported
40:12stolen.
40:14This rifle has a street value
40:16of about $600,
40:18$700
40:18with the revolver.
40:20The price
40:21on this one
40:22is $110.
40:25It's likely
40:26that the man
40:27was trying
40:27to sell the weapons
40:28on the black market
40:29in Mexico
40:30where he could
40:31make double
40:32their value.
40:33Instead,
40:34he is now looking
40:35at a minimum
40:36of five years
40:38in jail.
40:38It feels good
40:45taking these guns
40:46out of the street.
40:47It might have
40:47saved somebody's life,
40:48somebody that
40:49might have been killed.
40:50It might have a
Comments