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00:08The San Ysidro Port of Entry is the busiest land border crossing in the
00:13Western Hemisphere. Every day, 90,000 people pass through it.
00:20Are you bringing back anything from Mexico? No fruits or vegetables, alcohol, tobacco today?
00:25No, not today? All right. Officers have the authority to question and stop any traveler.
00:32You mind opening the trunk?
00:39Being here at the border, it's not like civilian police department where you're going to need
00:43a little bit more to go inside the vehicle. We have border search authority.
00:47This afternoon, a woman and her friend returning from Mexico have been selected for a routine check.
01:05It's not long before the canine leads Officer Bumpus to an area under the hood.
01:17So, my dog was alerting under the vehicle, like towards the front end of the vehicle. So,
01:22we're checking it out right now. And that's exactly where he was going.
01:28And this feels solid, too.
01:32The front end behind the tire just crawled all the way from the back to the front end.
01:40But I can't find anything.
01:48Oh, there it is. Yep. Hook him up.
01:52A secret compartment is stuffed full of what looks like prescription medication.
02:09We have to do what we have to do.
02:10Also, if that's not right, we're going to hit the front end.
02:27Next, we have our attention.
02:31U.S. citizen, sir.
02:32Look at the camera here, take a step back.
02:34On any given day, there are over 2 million
02:37outstanding arrest warrants for wanted criminals in the U.S.
02:41Do you need one ID or two IDs?
02:43No, no, no, I don't need the military.
02:44That's the military.
02:45Look at the camera, please.
02:46Everyone returning from Mexico is subject
02:51to a background check.
02:54This afternoon, a woman coming home after a day trip
02:58to Progreso has been stopped.
03:04So we had a pedestrian traveling from Progreso, Mexico,
03:08and through pedestrian.
03:10And the subject came out as a positive for a warrant.
03:15Right now, there's no information about what crime
03:18the woman is wanted for.
03:20She confirmed the address.
03:25In her case, I asked her if she was ever been detained,
03:29had trouble with the law enforcement at any time.
03:32She said no.
03:33She said she also has family members
03:36that work for the PD in Fort Worth, Texas.
03:39So that's irrelevant for us because a human being
03:41is a human being.
03:42Officer Maureen runs the woman's fingerprints.
03:45There we go.
03:46Go like this.
03:47But keep this right here.
03:49To check that her ID matches the warrant.
03:56Thank you, ma'am.
04:06Information soon comes through from the issuing authority,
04:10which is in another county 500 miles away.
04:14It did confirm for an outstanding warrant out of Gainesville,
04:19Texas for larceny, which was inputted back in November of last year.
04:25OK, now, you can step out.
04:27You can put your shoes on right here, and then you can give your items
04:32to your husband right now.
04:34While they wait to find out whether Gainesville PD wants
04:37to arrest her, Officer Maureen allows the woman to speak with her husband.
04:43Sir, your wife?
04:46You may speak to her if you need to.
04:47She wanted to give you the belongings.
04:49I don't know.
04:50Since about Gainesville?
04:52You have nothing in Gainesville.
04:53I don't understand.
04:54I don't either.
04:55I don't know what it is.
04:56So did a supervisor speak to you already?
04:58He just gave me blanket, nothing specific.
05:00I don't know what's going on.
05:01So here's the thing, OK?
05:03She came out as a positive for a warrant,
05:05an outstanding warrant out of Gainesville, Texas.
05:07For what?
05:08For larceny.
05:10For that?
05:13OK.
05:14OK.
05:16She says she's in Gainesville.
05:17There's nothing for her.
05:18She doesn't have anything.
05:19We live in Fort Worth.
05:20We have no business in Gainesville.
05:22We don't do anything against her.
05:23Like I'm saying, you have a job.
05:24Do you work?
05:26Yes.
05:26OK.
05:26So you do your job.
05:27We're just doing our job.
05:28That's it.
05:29We're going fast.
05:30I understand completely.
05:31Right.
05:31Our whole family is police officers, Fort Worth Police Department.
05:34Right.
05:34She informed me about that.
05:35So I mean, this is not a typical MO for someone that's going to...
05:40We've seen everything in occupation title that's irrelevant to who gets arrested and who doesn't.
05:46I understand.
05:46But I understand where you're coming from.
05:48I'm just letting you know this is your opportunity to speak to her right now.
06:00I was reading her body language and he was like, kind of like, what?
06:04And she was like, the check.
06:24At the San Ysidro crossing...
06:26It's the front end behind the tire.
06:29Oh, there it is.
06:30Yep.
06:32Hook him up.
06:32A woman and her friend returning to the U.S. have been detained.
06:37After a search of their vehicle, uncovered medication hidden in the dashboard.
06:45There should be an airbag in here.
06:48So an officer pulled this up and there's a bunch of medicine back in here.
06:54The contraband consists of packets of diet pills and bottles of medicated shampoo.
07:00And there's medicine also in the mirror.
07:04The two women entered the border in the fast lane, used only for pre-vetted drivers holding a sentry pass.
07:13They are global and sentry members also, so they rarely get inspected, so they thought they would try it.
07:24The amount smuggled in is assigned to Supervisor Walker.
07:28It's not for personal use.
07:32What they do is they try and take this medication, probably to a swap meet, and try to resell it
07:40for probably a little bit more than what they bought it for in Mexico.
07:45And that's obviously not authorized.
07:48That's why they're hiding it.
07:50So we'll go ahead and seize the medicine.
07:54The car is taken to a secure area where Officer Roque will carry out a thorough search.
08:01Dashboard's a pretty common concealing method.
08:03People will just create these little areas to hide stuff so they can smuggle things through.
08:07This right here is people used for weight loss.
08:09It's a schedule for a controlled substance.
08:12I think these people use it for weight loss and different things, or at least I hope it's just for
08:16that.
08:16This weight loss drug is popular in Mexico, but not approved for use in the U.S.
08:23creating a black market for smuggled pills.
08:26I don't know how much more is in here, so I'll have to check in the dashboard and see if
08:30there's anything else hidden anywhere else.
08:34It's a shampoo. I guess it's some sort of medical shampoo. I have no idea.
08:40I don't know if it's in under here. Actually, oh it is.
08:42Yeah, so it's all in here too. So I'll have to open all this up.
09:08Okay now, you can step out. You can put your shoes on.
09:12In Progreso, a woman returning home from a day trip to Mexico has been detained because she has a warrant
09:19out for larceny.
09:21Whenever she had the opportunity to give her belongings to her husband, she was trying to whisper something to him.
09:27I was reading her body language and he was like, kind of like, what? And she was like, the check.
09:35Was that check that y'all talking about in November?
09:37We had a contractor that worked for us.
09:39Mm-hmm.
09:39In, in 23?
09:42That was 23.
09:4222, 23.
09:44That's the only check, we had a contractor that worked for us.
09:48The couple paid a man to do some work on their property. They wrote a check, which bounced.
09:56That would be a simple thing. It wouldn't be charged larceny on that because it wasn't written to a, wasn't
10:00written to a business or anything like that.
10:02It was to an individual.
10:03No, no.
10:03It was to the contractor.
10:07Thank you. Okay, perfect. Thank you. Have a good day.
10:12The Hidalgo Sheriff's Office confirms that they will be coming to arrest the woman before extraditing her back to the
10:19county that issued the warrant.
10:21We only have so much information right now when Hidalgo County arrives. She has any further questions because they're actually
10:28the ones who are going to take over. Could ask, she could ask them.
10:32And then she'd have to go all the way back to Gainesville.
10:34Yeah.
10:35Like I said, they're going to answer your, your questions.
10:46All right.
10:48I'll get to the bottom of it. I'll get to the bottom of it. And then I said, obviously, I'm
10:53following you around. So, you know, make sure you're okay.
10:57Ma'am, do you give her the purse? And then, sir, do you want to give her a last hug
11:01before they pick her up, you know?
11:02Yeah, right here?
11:03No, but I mean, as a husband and wife, I'm pretty sure you want to give her a hug.
11:07Yeah.
11:07You know? We're human beings right there.
11:10There.
11:21There.
11:21All right.
11:22Love you.
11:24You there?
11:25I know.
11:26I know.
11:26You'll come take that.
11:27Nobody's in it.
11:28All right.
11:30An officer from Hidalgo County arrives to make their arrest.
11:36Yes, sir.
11:39Officer, why not?
11:40You're going to give me instructions, okay?
11:42Go around.
11:43Are you a ?
11:45Yes.
11:45I'm picking up because you're not going to get me.
11:46You got a warrant out of Cook County.
11:50So, we'll take you to custody to our county jail, and they'll pick you up from our county jail.
11:55They'll take you back to Cook County, okay?
11:57So, we'll put the cuts on you.
12:02Thank you, sir.
12:02Thank you very much.
12:03Have a good one.
12:04According to her, she never had a criminal record, never been arrested, never had to do a pat-down before.
12:11But anyways, wish you're the best.
12:14And remember, learn your lesson, and stay out of trouble.
12:38Every day, around 10,000 people cross the Camino Real Bridge.
12:46Among the travelers are paqueteros, unofficial couriers carrying goods across the southern border.
12:59Although lucrative work, it comes with a risk, because the drivers are rarely aware of what they're bringing in.
13:10Yeah, I want to scan all of it.
13:11Today, a courier entering into Mexico with a trailer has been sent to secondary inspection.
13:21This driver was coming from Houston, headed to Guanajuato, Mexico.
13:25We selected him because he had a lot of merchandise that he's taking to Mexico for other people.
13:33The Mexican drug cartels are known to hide cash and guns in paqueteros cargo.
13:42Suspicious that the trailer may contain contraband, officers put the whole shipment through an X-ray machine.
13:55Nothing yet.
14:05But it's not long before the X-ray reveals a suspicious outline.
14:11And it looks like we have one firearm and some ammunition in this box.
14:34It looks like we have the firearm here and ammunition in this boot.
14:39The man is immediately detained.
14:44While Officer Ruiz examines the concealment method.
14:48Could be for the X-ray.
14:50Could be for the K-9.
14:52Try to hide the smell or the odor of the firearm.
14:55That way our K-9 doesn't hit on it.
14:56But in this case, we were able to locate it using the X-ray.
15:03Did you pack everything?
15:07Because Mexico has strict laws preventing the purchase of guns,
15:11every year around 150,000 firearms are smuggled into the country by criminal gangs.
15:18So the gentleman's claiming that he didn't know about the firearm.
15:22One, he can be facing charges.
15:24His vehicle can be seized.
15:26There's a lot of different scenarios.
15:27But right now we have to wait for HSI to see if they're going to want to do further investigation
15:31on this or take him from there.
15:34Smuggling a hidden weapon is a serious crime.
15:37Homeland Security Investigations will question the man further to decide whether to prosecute.
15:56In San Diego, two women have been detained after a search of their car revealed a hidden compartment stuffed full
16:04of prescription medication.
16:06I don't know if it's under here.
16:07Actually, oh, it is.
16:08Yeah, so it's all the way under here too.
16:10There's a lot more hidden than Officer Roque initially thought.
16:15So I'll have to open all this up.
16:38Yeah, so it's...
16:39How far does it go?
16:41Uh-huh.
16:41Actually, it looks like it stops right here.
16:43So I saw it's about right in here.
16:45That way.
16:47That way.
16:48It goes all the way down.
16:55I've never seen this before, so I'm not sure what kind of shampoo it is.
17:00So I'll have to look it up.
17:07This anti-dandruff shampoo isn't prohibited, but bringing in large commercial amounts without declaring it is against the law.
17:19It's a hole down here on this side.
17:21It is?
17:21Under here down, through here.
17:30I think that's all of it.
17:34For smuggling shampoo, as well as the diet pills, the driver of the vehicle is facing a significant penalty, typically
17:42three times the value of what's found.
17:46Every pill and bottle must be counted.
17:50All right, this might take a little while.
18:05So each one of these has 20, so 20 times 15 times all this is going to be a decent
18:12amount of money.
18:16All right, so that should be 20 right there.
18:21I highly doubt they need to lose as much weight, so they're going to probably sell to someone, some market
18:28somewhere or somewhere.
18:29A packet of diet pills bought in Mexico for $16 could sell for twice as much on the black market.
18:37But taking them comes with risks, because the pills contain the appetite suppressant Phentermine, and long-term use can lead
18:45to drug dependency.
18:46People can abuse this substance, so people buying this off the street or some market somewhere or from someone, they
18:53can be abused and it can cause people issues.
18:56So if people are taking too much of this medication, they could have a serious medical condition.
19:00In total, 11,400 pills are counted, alongside 260 bottles of shampoo, adding up to a retail value of over
19:10$10,000.
19:13I'm going to get her into our office here, issued a penalty, so you can make two choices.
19:18You can either agree to pay the penalty or contest it.
19:24So you've had a bunch of medication in your vehicle, OK?
19:26I noticed.
19:38Since it's the woman's first time being caught, her fine is reduced to $2,500.
19:46You want to contest it?
19:48Despite owning the vehicle, the woman denies all knowledge of the medication and says she will be appealing her charge.
19:55Is there a certain amount of time I need to wait?
19:58I would say do it within 30 days, the sooner the better.
20:00OK.
20:01OK.
20:01So that's your copy?
20:02OK.
20:02And then I'll get your friend, OK?
20:03OK.
20:04Outside, her friend is also facing punishment.
20:08The loss of her trusted traveler status.
20:12Since you're traveling with her and you're both smuggling medication across the border, your sentries are being lifted.
20:17Mine too?
20:18Yes.
20:19Since you're both crossed and they're...
20:20It wasn't my fault.
20:22Her vehicle had a lot of concealed medication.
20:24So she was issued a penalty and all medication that was concealed within the vehicle was seized.
20:28I don't understand.
20:29You don't understand that there was medication concealed within her dashboard.
20:32We're informing you right now that there was medication within the vehicle.
20:36Yes, and we're telling you right now that there's medication within the vehicle.
20:38You're good to go, OK?
20:39This woman has escaped a heavy find, but both travelers have lost their sentry cards, adding hours to their future
20:47border crossings.
21:11In Eagle Pass, a courier has been detained after being caught smuggling a weapon into Mexico.
21:19So the gentleman's claiming that he didn't know about the firearm.
21:23One, he can be facing charges.
21:25His vehicle can be seized.
21:27There's a lot of different scenarios, but right now we have to wait for HSI to see if they're going
21:30to want to do further investigation on this or take him from there.
21:35These are 40, and this firearm is 40 as well.
21:40So yes, these rounds are for this pistol.
21:43They don't check the merchandise that they're taking into Mexico.
21:46So it makes it easier for somebody to send something illegal like this.
21:51Only one pistol was found, but that alone can be sold for hundreds of dollars on the black market in
21:57Mexico.
21:58We were able to seize one firearm magazine and a total of 50 rounds, which is a good thing for
22:03us.
22:04Whatever reason they were using it for over there in Mexico, they were exporting it illegally.
22:09Since the courier has no prior history and claims no knowledge of the weapon, this time he won't face any
22:16charges.
22:18So as of right now, HSI has deferred prosecution.
22:22Firearms are going to stay here in our possession. It's going to be seized.
22:24And the rest of the items that the gentleman was carrying with him, he's going to be free to go
22:28with.
22:28But it's not completely in the clear. New laws created to crack down on cartel crime have recently been passed.
22:35The form this guy just signed, essentially the United States government is labeled the cartel a terrorist organization.
22:41And this form we have in English and Spanish, it says if you have any affiliation and we find out
22:47you do, the law is going to go after you at full extent.
22:50They read this, they sign it, we find out through investigation that they have any affiliation to the cartel, they're
22:58going to jail.
22:58By signing the form, the driver is declaring his innocence.
23:02But if he's lying and later found to have cartel links, he could then be arrested.
23:09It wasn't a good thing that they were having this firearm hidden within these containers.
23:13And good thing we were able to get it.
23:23The Ambassador Bridge links Windsor, Canada with Detroit, Michigan.
23:31Every day, almost $320 million worth of goods from Canada crossing trucks bound for the U.S.
23:40How you doing, sir? Good afternoon.
23:45Officers are always on the lookout for anything illegal entering the country.
23:49I'm going to send you through x-ray, okay?
23:51So what you're going to do is, you're going to stay to your right, go around and then you're going
23:54to see a sign for x-ray.
23:57Including agricultural items that could be carrying insects and pests harmful to U.S. crops.
24:05All right, just come right over here with me.
24:10Right over here, sir.
24:12I'm going to have you bring your truck, pop your seal, open your door, and back all the way to
24:16door number four.
24:17Door number four.
24:18Okay.
24:18All right, sir, thank you.
24:21Today, agriculture specialist Garza is carrying out a series of spot checks on inbound trucks.
24:27He's called in container full of flowers.
24:31Today, we're going to be looking at some plants, plant commodities.
24:35We're going to be looking for live mites, slugs, snails, plant diseases.
24:39These species could be harmful to America's agriculture.
24:42We're trying to do our best to safeguard that.
24:53Even though these flowers have come from a pest controlled greenhouse in Canada, there could still be bugs hidden within.
25:03Let's see if we can find anything here.
25:06Using his flashlight, Officer Garza begins the first step of his inspection.
25:12He focuses on a cross section of the shipment.
25:29I don't see anything so far.
25:31Any track marks, any bite marks, or anything just that stuns out out of the normal.
25:36It's not always guaranteed that there's going to, it's going to be a pest free plant.
25:46So that's why it's always good just to check, do a visual inspection, a thorough visual inspection on these.
25:59So there's something right over here.
26:03It's a little bitty thing.
26:05If the insect Officer Garza has spotted turns out to be an invasive species,
26:12the entire shipment will be refused entry into the U.S., costing the shipper thousands of dollars.
26:31The Camino Real Bridge links the city of Eagle Pass with Piedras Negras, Mexico.
26:44I'm just looking at the natural voice that these pickups have, but this one right now looks good.
26:50Officers stay vigilant for signs of anything unusual or suspicious.
26:55You have to process vehicles, you know, in a timely manner.
26:59But then also you have to, you know, realize which ones are kind of iffy or you don't like the
27:04story or something.
27:10So really the officers only have, you know, less than a minute, sometimes less than 30 seconds to process a
27:15vehicle, right?
27:16So that's one of the challenges that our officers face.
27:26Even at midnight, the cars are still streaming in, and the driver with a missing front license plate heading to
27:33Mexico has been flagged for further inspection.
27:38It didn't have a front plate, so that was my first issue with it.
27:43Once I stopped it, I saw he had multiple boxes.
27:46Boxes are typically what we call here encargos, or they're taking parcels or packages on behalf of somebody else to
27:54Mexico.
28:00The man has also told Officer Figueroa that the pickup belongs to someone else.
28:06What's his name?
28:09Your friend?
28:10The owner of the car, what's his name?
28:14Alfonso.
28:15Alfonso.
28:16Alfonso.
28:17Why doesn't he cross Alfonso?
28:19Because he said he's going to go to eat.
28:23And what's the emergency of the car? Why doesn't he cross the car and then he cross it?
28:27And then he goes to eat.
28:32How much would he do?
28:34For gas or what?
28:36The man's claim to be driving his friend's truck
28:39across the border while he has dinner
28:42raises more questions for Officer Figueroa.
29:00The man's story isn't adding up.
29:03Very vague responses, because obviously he doesn't know the answers
29:07to what I was trying to get from him.
29:09It didn't make sense why he needed to be crossing the vehicle
29:13on behalf of his friend.
29:15A discrepancy in the vehicle's registration papers
29:18is yet another red flag.
29:20So the paperwork says,
29:22is the owner.
29:25He's telling me that his friend's name,
29:26which is the owner of the vehicle, is Alfonso.
29:29So that doesn't match.
29:31With growing doubts over who actually owns the vehicle
29:35and its cargo,
29:36officers begin to suspect the driver
29:39could be carrying out illicit activity for a cartel.
29:4310-4, stand by.
29:44They will need to search the car for further clues.
29:57In Detroit, a shipment of flowers from Canada
30:01has been sent for inspection.
30:03To enter the U.S.,
30:05all plants must be free of any harmful pests
30:08that can damage crops.
30:10So there's something right over here.
30:14It's a little bitty thing.
30:19Officer Garza thinks he may have spotted an insect in the plants,
30:23so he wants to carry out a more detailed inspection
30:26on some of the flowers.
30:28So we'll just get a sample of everything,
30:31mix it all in there.
30:34And this is just for micro-sized insects,
30:38organisms that we may find.
30:41If it's not admissible,
30:42then the truck gets rejected back to Canada,
30:44and it will be given an emergency action notice
30:49to be re-delivered
30:51and be fumigated for these bugs.
30:56So that's one pile right there.
31:01Even insects not seen by the naked eye
31:03can carry diseases.
31:06To catch these microscopic creatures,
31:09Officer Garza uses a special kit.
31:12This is what's known as burlesi funnels.
31:15They're just heat lamps.
31:18That releases all the moisture from the plants,
31:21so all the bugs, insects, anything like that
31:23will fall down this funnel,
31:25and we'll put a little tray full of alcohol,
31:28and they will all fall down there,
31:30and then from there we'll collect the samples
31:31that we find.
31:34So what we're going to do now
31:35is we're going to juice these containers up,
31:37filling it up with alcohol
31:38so all the animal or any little insects
31:41that fall into here will stay in there.
31:44So all we're going to do here
31:45is just stuff our burlesi funnel.
31:50Let's turn this on just like that
31:52and put it right over.
31:53And it will give these about 30, 40 minutes
31:56just where it could dry up completely
31:58and let all that organisms fall through.
32:01As the plants dry out,
32:03Officer Garza inspects one last plant sample
32:06looking for bugs.
32:08What we could do here is just try to shake,
32:12see if anything comes out.
32:14In 2024, almost 80,000 citations
32:18were issued to commercial vehicles
32:19crossing with contaminated produce,
32:23preventing millions of dollars worth of damage
32:25to U.S. agriculture.
32:27A detrimental insect coming into the United States
32:30could be as harmful as any drug shipment found,
32:34so it's always good just to check.
32:37Like the slogan says,
32:39don't pack a pest.
32:41So far, nothing has been discovered.
32:46But if anything suspicious is found
32:48in the burlesi funnels,
32:50then all the flowers will be returned.
32:53See what we got?
32:56So these have been on for about 20, 30 minutes for now.
33:04There's that set.
33:06So yeah, there are some mites,
33:08but like I said, they're microscopic,
33:10so these are not actionable.
33:14The search has found only harmless mites.
33:18Just go ahead and check this one right here.
33:22Some mites, all that little bunched up.
33:25Like I said, the mites that will be found here
33:27will be microscopic.
33:29So this shipment's good to go.
33:30Release them, and we'll let them down the road.
33:38These plants are coming from a Canadian greenhouse.
33:41They did a good job cleaning
33:42and making sure that they're pesticide-free.
33:46The driver and his flowers
33:47are clear to continue on their journey.
33:51It'll make somebody's mom or dad
33:53happy with these flowers.
34:09In Eagle Pass,
34:11a driver has been stopped
34:12when attempting to cross from the U.S. and New Mexico.
34:23He admits he doesn't own the car he's driving,
34:26but the name he's given as the owner
34:28doesn't correlate with the vehicle's registration.
34:32The name that the driver provided
34:33doesn't match the paperwork
34:35that he gave me on the title of the vehicle
34:37nor the insurance.
34:39He claims he's transporting the truck
34:41in boxes for a friend,
34:42but officers suspect he's being used by a cartel.
34:47So that's why I'm still not satisfied
34:50with whatever is going with this vehicle right now.
34:53So we'll load everything,
34:55scan it through,
34:56do a physical inspection of the vehicle,
34:58make sure everything is good.
35:04Nine times out of ten,
35:05these people that are taking these items to Mexico,
35:09they don't inspect the stuff.
35:10And the people take advantage of that
35:12to try to hide contraband,
35:14weapons, ammo, money,
35:15things like that.
35:20He's responsible for everything that's individual.
35:22So if we get to find something,
35:24it's his fault.
35:26Large TV!
35:29Hey, Figueroa!
35:31So far, no anomalies.
35:34This is the golden nugget.
35:40These compressors are famous for having stuff inside
35:45that's not supposed to be.
35:51But not this time.
35:53It's clean.
35:54The load is given the all clear,
35:56but drug cartels are known to hide contraband
35:59inside a vehicle's bodywork.
36:03The pickup is sent for an X-ray.
36:063-4, 3-4, 3-4, are we up?
36:0910-4, stand by.
36:127.
36:147.
36:177.
36:19Take them.
36:2120-20.
36:2220-20?
36:30Nothing suspicious is spotted within the truck,
36:33but Officer Rodriguez
36:35sees something else unusual.
36:37The vehicle peg is concealed with a plastic film
36:40which covers up your license tax.
36:42You won't be able to read it,
36:43so it's got a film on it.
36:49Mike?
36:52It's got to have a plastic film on the numbers.
36:54They're somewhere here.
36:56Once the vehicle went through,
36:58the license plate reader
37:00didn't pick up the license plate.
37:01When you see the picture
37:02of the license plate reader,
37:04it's all blacked out.
37:06The plate has been deliberately tampered with
37:09to stop the car from being tracked
37:11by vehicle recognition cameras.
37:13This concealment
37:14and the driver not knowing the car's real owner
37:17are all signs
37:18and that the vehicle might be stolen.
37:33In Eagle Pass,
37:35a driver crossing into Mexico
37:37with a suspicious truck has been stopped.
37:40Officers have discovered
37:41the license plate has been tampered with.
37:43The vehicle plate is concealed
37:45with a plastic film
37:46which covers up your license tax.
37:49You won't be able to read them,
37:50so it's got a film on it.
37:52Here in Eagle Pass,
37:53we have a lot of tendencies
37:55of vehicles going outbound
37:57that are stolen.
37:59These type of trucks,
37:59they're used a lot by the cartels.
38:02They use it for type of payments
38:04or for doing their crimes
38:07over there in Mexico.
38:09Concerned the vehicle
38:10might be stolen,
38:11officers decide to run a check
38:13on its serial number,
38:14known as the VIN.
38:18You've got to identify the VIN
38:19to make sure it matches the VIN on the winter.
38:21Criminals sometimes fraudulently change
38:24the VIN marked on a vehicle's exterior
38:26to mask its theft.
38:28The machine that we have
38:30that we connected through that port
38:31and we can actually look
38:34for the original VIN number
38:35that's embedded within the program
38:37on the computer.
38:38If it doesn't match,
38:40then you probably have
38:41a stolen vehicle.
38:49This time,
38:50the vehicle identification number
38:52is a match
38:53and the car hasn't been reported
38:55as stolen.
39:02With questions remaining
39:03about the car's ownership,
39:05officers ask the driver
39:06to call his friend.
39:16He admits he doesn't own
39:18the car either
39:18and says he was paid
39:20to pick it up in Indiana
39:21and take it south.
39:28Officer Figueroa
39:30now suspects
39:31the man has been asked
39:32to drive over
39:32a newly purchased car
39:34that hasn't been declared
39:35to customs officials.
39:37Okay.
39:39Pues el dueño de la camioneta
39:41tiene que venir
39:42a la estación de policÃa
39:43de Eagle Pass
39:45con la evidencia
39:46de que es su camioneta
39:47para poder sacarla
39:49del...
39:49del...
39:50del impound lot.
39:55porque el caballero
39:56no la puede cruzar
39:57porque no es su camioneta.
39:59La única que es segura,
40:00la única vÃa segura
40:01es que venga
40:02el dueño actual
40:03de la camioneta
40:04a levantarla.
40:08The person,
40:09he didn't give me a name,
40:10the person who had
40:10the vehicle over
40:11in upstate Indiana,
40:15told him to
40:16bring it down.
40:17The thing is,
40:18yes,
40:18you can export
40:19a vehicle to Mexico,
40:19there's no issues
40:20with it,
40:21but there's a process
40:22and that process
40:24starts with us
40:25as U.S. Customs
40:26and Border Protection,
40:27you have to bring it
40:27for exportation
40:2872 hours prior
40:30of the vehicle exiting
40:31to a port of entry
40:32into another country.
40:34By not declaring the car,
40:36the owner was trying
40:37to avoid all the paperwork,
40:38but now,
40:39the vehicle
40:39and its contents
40:41are being impounded.
40:42The driver
40:43is free to go,
40:44on foot.
40:45He won't face any charges
40:47for helping out a friend.
40:49So right now,
40:50everything is going
40:50to Eagle Pass PD
40:51in Palat,
40:52and tomorrow,
40:53the person who's
40:54the owner of everything
40:55can get in contact
40:56with the investigators
40:57in Eagle Pass PD
40:58so he can retweets
40:59all his belongings.
41:29in Eagle Pass PD
41:30So right now,
41:31is to be on the
41:31Go to Eagle Pass.
41:31You
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