- 15 hours ago
Contraband: Seized at the Border - Season 8 - Episode 03: Trifecta of Trouble
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TVTranscript
00:07hi how's it going come on almost every day unofficial couriers called
00:14pacateros carry goods across the southern border they can earn anywhere
00:19from $1,500 to $100,000 in a single day but with a big paycheck comes a major
00:27risk because they rarely know what they're transporting in Eagle Pass yeah we'll just
00:34stick it up here man officers are carrying out a spot check on a couriers truck heading
00:39from the US into Mexico it's really weird dude oh is it because criminal gangs are
00:48known to hide money and guns in the cargo officers conduct an x-ray
00:59we tried to scan everything because we never know they might have something hiding in one
01:05of the boxes the x-ray has revealed something of interest yeah we got one
01:17so right now we're scanning the commodities from this guy's truck and there appears to
01:24be a rifle for the speaker box right here no no it's uh it came tens of thousands of assault
01:32rifles are trafficked from the US each year by Mexican drug cartels there's gonna be other
01:38stuff in there man the search is just getting started
01:45let's go check the last one
01:51what is this dude we always have to stay vigilant
02:02the bad guys lost today
02:28you are citizens
02:32Over 3,000 pedestrians use the Progresso International Bridge every day.
02:42Customs and Border Protection officers are on constant alert for one-handed criminals attempting to cross the border.
02:50Today, a man traveling to Mercedes, Texas, has been flagged as having an active arrest warrant.
03:03He's immediately detained.
03:20Officers don't yet have any details of the man's alleged crime.
03:29I always get flagged because I'm on bail, but they never done this.
03:35But I do have a warrant.
03:38That's what I'm looking for.
03:39Okay.
03:40Do you mind putting an exam?
03:44Despite his claims of ignorance, it's soon confirmed the man's prints are a match.
03:56Public records reveal that he is wanted for stalking and harassment.
04:01You have a warrant for a fence stalking felony warrant, harassment communication.
04:07What's that?
04:08I don't know.
04:09Maybe you were contacting somebody you're not supposed to contact.
04:11Do you know anything about that?
04:13Do you have a protection order or anything like that?
04:15No.
04:15Well, that's what it's for.
04:17Mm-hmm.
04:18Can you get more information on that?
04:20It's what it is.
04:22I don't have any more information, okay?
04:24So just relax.
04:25There's a restroom right there.
04:27Let me know if you need anything, okay?
04:32Although the man claims to know nothing about any recent crime, Officer Peña isn't so sure.
04:39I believe he has probably been contacting somebody that has a protection order against him
04:44or somebody that doesn't want to be contacted by him.
04:48Since the man's already on bail for a separate offense,
04:51if the charges are confirmed by the issuing precinct,
04:55he could soon be going back to jail.
05:11In Eagle Pass,
05:14Yeah, we got one.
05:16an X-ray of a courier's truck
05:18is revealed what looks like a weapon
05:20hidden inside a speaker cabinet.
05:23Let's check the last one.
05:25What is this dude?
05:30This guy's got one, too.
05:33Hook him up, man.
05:34Okay.
05:37This paqueteiro, who might be unknowingly transporting illegal goods,
05:42is detained with his wife and son.
05:50Every year, around 150,000 American-made guns are smuggled from the U.S. into Mexico,
05:58where they can sell for up to four times more on the Mexican black market.
06:09But this driver claims he had no idea what he was carrying, or who it was for.
06:18With the man in custody, officers check the speaker cabinets.
06:23We're going to open them to see what they have.
06:26And based on the images that we got,
06:28it seems like there's some weapons in there.
06:54The search reveals suspicious objects covered in tape in both speakers.
07:00There is what appears to be a weapon that is wrapped in duct tape.
07:05It's concealed within the commodity, but it's not secured, so it's bouncing around.
07:10So if we physically picked it up, we'd probably feel something moving around.
07:15So as terms of this, it's not a very good concealment method.
07:20And this is the same thing.
07:22It's wrapped with duct tape and it's thrown in the speaker box.
07:30Here's your mic.
07:39So...
07:40The second package contains ammunition.
07:45This is two fully loaded 30-round magazines, a 760.
07:51Which is used for an AK-47.
07:59760 by 39.
08:18In Progresso, officers have detained a man who was wanted in Texas for stalking and harassment.
08:26But I do have a warrant.
08:29That's what I'm looking for.
08:31Over 13 million people are stalked in the U.S. every year.
08:35Most of them, women.
08:43The man claims he knows nothing about his warrant.
08:48But Officer Pena isn't convinced.
08:51You don't remember anything?
08:53You didn't get into an argument with somebody?
08:54Yeah, my wife just separated from me.
08:57I caught my wife, Sheen.
08:58Okay.
08:59And, like, Sheen moved down and I kicked her out.
09:02You never, like, hit her?
09:04You never...
09:06Have you been calling her non-stop or anything like that?
09:09You wouldn't be mad?
09:10Then you wouldn't be mad if you wasted...
09:12I wasted seven and a half times.
09:15I trip out.
09:18I have a problem.
09:19I do.
09:20I don't want to beat her ass.
09:21The man admits calling his ex-wife, but claims he's the victim, not her.
09:27I came out of prison with nothing.
09:29I'm on the verge of being homeless.
09:31I don't got my mom.
09:32I don't got my dad.
09:32It's just me.
09:33Okay.
09:34That's all I got.
09:35Okay.
09:38He's stating that it could be a retaliation from his wife since she does have a new boyfriend
09:43and everything, but I think it could be a little bit more than that, that he's not
09:48telling us.
09:52Officer Pena calls state police to get more details about the warrant.
09:58Okay, perfect.
09:59Have a good day.
10:02They confirm that the man's wife has filed a complaint that he's been aggressively stalking
10:07her for the past six weeks.
10:21Mercedes police arrive to take the man into custody.
10:27So right now that I'm aware of is going to be for stalking, okay?
10:33Stalking, stalking, stalking.
10:34That is the warrant.
10:36Stalking?
10:38What the?
10:39So, take a seat.
10:40So as of right now, that's what I'm aware of.
10:42You're going to speak with the judge later on and they'll give you more information.
10:48Is that, what is that, a felony misdemeanor?
10:51Stalking.
10:51Stalking is classified as a pattern of repeated and unwanted harassment.
10:56Stalking how?
10:57Where?
10:58That's crazy.
11:00After what I told you.
11:01Just go through the motions, sir.
11:03Just have to do it and see what happens, okay?
11:06Try to calm down.
11:07Try to relax.
11:08There's no point in getting upset, okay?
11:11Okay.
11:12Yeah, that's fine.
11:13Yeah.
11:13Okay.
11:14The man is taken to county jail and will appear before a state judge in the morning.
11:19If the stalking and harassment offenses are proven, he could be returning to prison for up to five years.
11:38In Eagle Pass, a rifle and ammunition have been found hidden in speaker boxes driven by a Pocatero.
11:47This is two fully loaded 30-round magazines, a 760, which is used for an AK-47.
12:01760 by 39.
12:07The smugglers have made an extra effort to conceal the assault weapon itself.
12:12So as I'm opening this duct tape, there's a slimy texture.
12:17I'm not quite sure yet what it is, but it's going to be something that's used to conceal the odor
12:24to the K-9.
12:27It didn't work.
12:32As suspected, the gun is an AK-47 assault rifle.
12:37In the wrong case, this is a bad tool.
12:41Just make sure it's not loaded.
12:44AK-47s are the weapon of choice for Mexican drug cartels, who use them to facilitate their deadly trade,
12:52resulting in hundreds of murders every year.
12:55It's a 16-inch barrel with a buttstock, which is considered to be a short barrel rifle.
13:00A high-power rifle that's concealable.
13:11With the firearm and ammo seized, the rest of the driver's family is allowed to continue their journey.
13:18Meanwhile, the driver will be handed over to a Homeland Security Investigations agent for further questioning.
13:25He will be the one who decides if the subject is released or going to be prosecuted for the weapon
13:32smuggling.
13:34If it's determined the driver knew more about his cargo than he's letting on,
13:38he could be looking at 20 years in jail.
13:42Any weapon that we take off the streets is a good weapon, but the weapon that we found today is
13:48an extremely dangerous weapon.
14:0950,000 vehicles a day cross the Detroit River, which separates the United States and Canada.
14:21Officers must check each one.
14:25Good afternoon. Citizenship?
14:27United States.
14:28All right. Why were you in Canada, sir?
14:29At my brother's wedding last night.
14:31You didn't try to talk him out of it?
14:33Part of this job is just being able to think on the fly and being able to adapt.
14:37And everything's always changing. You never know what you're going to get.
14:40Every person that comes to this port, it's a mystery.
14:43And so you can kind of figure it out, you know?
14:45So you kind of just got to prep yourself.
14:48I mean, I think every officer here knows what they signed up for,
14:50and you just got to be able to adjust on the fly like that when you need to.
14:56This morning, officers have detained a van at secondary inspection.
15:01The driver claims he took a wrong turn after picking up his ex-wife at a Detroit bus station
15:06and accidentally ended up at the border.
15:11I've come and picked her up at the bus station.
15:14That's my ex-wife.
15:15She's coming up here to see her grandchildren.
15:18They didn't intend to come here.
15:20But once they enter onto our property, they are now on federal property,
15:23and all federal rules apply to them.
15:26Put your hands on the wall over here.
15:28A search has revealed the man is carrying a handgun and ammunition,
15:33which is illegal to transport over the border without the correct paperwork
15:37and can be punishable by a five-year prison sentence.
15:41That's one of my good shooting guns.
15:43Yes, he's he's.
15:46Concerned there may be other prohibited items,
15:49officers begin a check of his vehicle.
15:54Sometimes you see vents that are partially pried.
15:58This one's been either pried or opened previously,
16:01but the rivets, you can tell, have been definitely broken.
16:04So we're going to take a look and turn in there,
16:05make sure there's nothing else in there.
16:09The vents are empty.
16:14But the search is far from over.
16:16People try to disguise things they know they're not supposed to have
16:19or they think they're not supposed to have.
16:22It's just a standard part of human nature.
16:28Pull these out and take a quick look,
16:29make sure the stitching looks good.
16:36Center console.
16:42Marijuana rolling papers.
16:47Well, that's a pistol magazine.
16:49Sig Sauer.
16:56And marijuana.
16:59Tubes that say that it is infused with THC or marijuana
17:04and then marijuana labeled little packages.
17:10Although legal in both Michigan and Canada,
17:13possessing any type of cannabis product at a federal border
17:17could mean a fine of up to $25,000.
17:21Marijuana still is considered a Schedule I narcotic federally,
17:25which means it cannot be on this property.
17:27It is a zero-tolerance policy.
17:29The gun, ammo, and marijuana
17:32are a trifecta of trouble for the driver.
17:58In San Diego.
17:59Any fruits, plants, seeds, vegetables?
18:02No, that's fine.
18:04It's the job of Customs and Border Protection
18:06to stop endangered wildlife or products
18:09from being smuggled into the U.S.
18:16Today, agriculture specialist Ortega Fuentes
18:20is checking a driver who is returning from a fishing trip.
18:24They said they're coming from Mexico
18:25and they're heading to California.
18:28They declare me yellowtail and some fish
18:32that they fish on the shore of the beach.
18:34How much fish are you bringing, sir?
18:36Which fish?
18:37Yeah, about...
18:3820 or 30 fish.
18:39How many kilos or pounds?
18:41I don't know.
18:42A lot?
18:43Can we...
18:44I didn't weigh that.
18:45Okay, no worries.
18:46Can we place it on the floor?
18:49Are you using me as the goat here?
18:53No, sir.
18:54I'm doing my inspection.
18:59Okay.
19:01Can you step out of the table, please?
19:04The man doesn't seem happy
19:05about his fish being inspected.
19:08My time is very important.
19:09I didn't break the law.
19:11I have crossed this border
19:13over a thousand times
19:17since 1965.
19:19But, you know, as a U.S. citizen,
19:21I feel like a criminal
19:22coming back into my own country.
19:25But there's good reason
19:26for officers to take
19:27an interest in the containers.
19:29We're going to see
19:30what they have here.
19:33There's more than 25 kilos.
19:36Then they assume
19:37it's a commercial quantity
19:39and they can return them for that.
19:44An estimated $2.4 billion worth
19:48of illegal seafood
19:49is smuggled into the U.S. every year.
19:53Agriculture specialist
19:54Ortega Fuentes
19:55wants to confirm
19:57the man isn't smuggling
19:58any protected
19:59or endangered species.
20:01So they have
20:02the Dewey ducks.
20:06They are allowed
20:08to bring at least
20:10I believe
20:11eight pieces
20:12per passenger.
20:14I don't know
20:15if these are still alive
20:16or not.
20:18Large saltwater clams
20:19called
20:20Gooey ducks
20:21are found in the waters
20:22off Baja, California
20:24and are a valuable
20:25delicacy.
20:27Yeah, they have more here.
20:36They only declare fish.
20:38They didn't declare
20:39the Dewey ducks.
20:41Although undeclared,
20:42the clams
20:43aren't a protected species.
20:46But another discovery
20:48is a major red flag.
20:53Is this fish flatter?
20:54It came from
20:56the yellow tail.
20:58There's nothing
20:59illegal about it.
21:00Okay.
21:01The team must check
21:02the bladder isn't
21:03from a protected species
21:04such as the
21:05Totowava fish.
21:07These are highly prized
21:09in Eastern medicine
21:10and bring in thousands
21:11of dollars
21:12on the black market.
21:13I'm going to contact
21:14Noah and let them
21:16see this.
21:17Maybe I can take
21:18some pictures for them.
21:21If the find
21:22is confirmed
21:23a protected species
21:24by the National Oceanic
21:26and Atmospheric Agency,
21:27the fishermen could face
21:29up to 20 years
21:30in prison
21:30and a $250,000 fine.
21:47every weekend,
21:4820,000 U.S. citizens
21:51cross the border
21:52from Progresso, Texas
21:53into Mexico.
21:58Many head there
21:59to party,
22:00meaning officers
22:01frequently have to
22:02deal with travelers
22:03who are excessively
22:05intoxicated.
22:06For the most part,
22:07I would say 80%
22:08of the time,
22:09we get great people.
22:10We get great travelers.
22:11They're usually pretty nice.
22:12They're pretty compliant.
22:13And, you know,
22:14it's just another day
22:15for us.
22:16Obviously,
22:18that's not always going to be,
22:19you know,
22:20the happy story
22:21every single day,
22:22every once in a while.
22:22We do get our situations
22:24here and there.
22:26And we have to
22:27treat it accordingly.
22:37The bone's sticking out.
22:40This evening,
22:41an American who spent
22:42the day drinking
22:43across the border
22:44has arrived
22:45in a Mexican ambulance.
22:46But he was fighting
22:47in Mexico,
22:48apparently,
22:48and he fell
22:49and he landed
22:52really bad
22:52and now the...
22:55So he's trying
22:56to go home
22:56and our EMT's
22:58telling him
22:58that he needs
22:59to go to a hospital.
23:01We contact
23:03the U.S. ambulance
23:05to come over here,
23:06pick up the subject,
23:08and then this ambulance
23:09would just return
23:10to Mexico.
23:11The emergency
23:12medical technicians
23:13have determined
23:14the man has broken
23:15his leg
23:16and are taking him
23:17for further evaluation.
23:19That's very common.
23:20We get people
23:21with blood on their head,
23:25puncture wounds,
23:26a little bit of everything.
23:27Or people who just,
23:28they're too drunk to walk,
23:30we get that a lot too.
23:35He seems to not be in pain.
23:36I think the pain will hit
23:38once the alcohol wears off.
23:50Meanwhile,
23:51over at pedestrian inspections,
23:54another man heading home
23:56after an afternoon
23:56of partying
23:57has arrived with a friend.
23:59Next.
24:06Hello.
24:08That's her declaration of mine.
24:10What's that?
24:11That's her declaration of mine.
24:14By law,
24:15it's the traveler's
24:16responsibility
24:17to declare any baggage
24:18they are personally carrying.
24:20What's in the bag?
24:22That's her declaration of mine.
24:23Well, you brought it,
24:24so you got to...
24:25No, no, no,
24:25I'm not claiming it.
24:27It's her.
24:28She can claim it.
24:29Okay, you had it.
24:30So, you had it.
24:31So, what's in the bags?
24:33Pabloso.
24:36All right, just put them here.
24:40It's not mine.
24:41You put it there,
24:42so you're responsible for it.
24:45I'm not too responsible for it.
24:48Go ahead and put the bags here.
24:50If there's anything in that bag
24:51that's not supposed to be there,
24:52you're the one that brought them here,
24:53so you're responsible for it.
24:54I'm not putting it there.
24:55The man's refusal
24:57to comply with Officer Rodriguez
24:59is a red flag
25:02and begs the question
25:03of what's in the bags.
25:09The man is detained
25:10for a secondary inspection.
25:13Put the bags there.
25:14Do you have any weapons on you?
25:17No, sir.
25:20All right.
25:32Come on, come on.
25:33He didn't want to show me,
25:34and that's why he left them on the floor.
25:47The bags reveal a variety
25:49of household cleaning
25:50and beauty products.
25:53Since drugs like methamphetamine
25:55can be smuggled in liquid form,
25:58Officer Gonzalez
25:59must check each container.
26:15This looks like
26:15it's some sort of hair gel
26:16or skin gel.
26:18I'm just opening the stuff
26:20and leaving them open
26:20to see if there's any crystallization.
26:23If it's anything
26:23that's not supposed to be in there,
26:25it should crystallize.
26:26If it's bad,
26:27if it's not bad,
26:28it will stay,
26:28retain its normal form.
26:32If officers find
26:33that the bags contain narcotics,
26:36this traveler
26:37could be facing
26:37decades in prison.
26:56In Detroit...
26:57You guys are all set.
26:59You have a good day.
26:594.
26:59I'm 94.
27:01The driver giving his ex-wife
27:03a ride to visit her grandkids
27:04has been stopped
27:06after taking a wrong turn
27:07towards the Canadian border.
27:09Put your hands on the wall over here.
27:11Officers have uncovered
27:12a handgun with ammo.
27:15That's one of my good shooting guns.
27:17Yes, easy.
27:19And suspected cannabis products
27:21illegal at the international border.
27:25A chemical test will confirm
27:27if the recovered products contain THC,
27:30the psychoactive ingredient of cannabis.
27:36Possession of THC products
27:38is federally illegal
27:40and could result in a fine
27:42or even jail time.
27:46So, we're making sure
27:47all the substrate
27:48is at the bottom
27:49so it's easy.
27:50We're going to break
27:52these glass capsules inside.
27:54If it is any of the purple
27:55or the purple and white,
27:56it is an alert
27:56for a positive reaction
27:57for the narcotics present.
28:05You can see it definitely
28:06is a positive alert.
28:09The man doesn't deny
28:11being a regular cannabis user.
28:13I'm a dialysis patient.
28:15Okay.
28:16And I got to sit in a chair
28:17for four hours.
28:18Yeah.
28:19And you can't get up.
28:20It's a long time.
28:21You can't roll over on your side.
28:23Those things that you got there
28:25that I forgot that were in there,
28:27that's the only thing
28:28that helps the pain.
28:29Right.
28:30Helps me in order
28:31that I can do the four hours
28:33sitting in that chair.
28:34So, you use THC to,
28:36well, you prescribe it
28:37or is it just...
28:38That's, it helps.
28:39You just kind of buy it
28:40and use it?
28:41I have the dispensary.
28:42Yeah.
28:43Going in and buying
28:43the dispensary.
28:44Yeah.
28:45And that's it.
28:46Okay.
28:47Although the man
28:48has a legitimate medical reason
28:49for having marijuana products,
28:51it has no bearing
28:52at the border.
28:53So, do you kind of understand
28:55what's going on, though?
28:56Yeah.
28:56That federal property,
28:58it's still a Schedule 1 narcotic,
28:59so no medical.
29:00Right.
29:01So, we are seizing it today.
29:03Since they're prohibited
29:04on federal property,
29:05all the man's cannabis products
29:07are seized,
29:09along with his gun.
29:12You're going to have to
29:12petition for it.
29:13You may or may not get it back.
29:15Yeah, well,
29:16that's all right.
29:17I get it back.
29:19Can you get it back?
29:19I hope so.
29:20It seems the driver
29:22made an honest mistake
29:23so has spared
29:25any further penalty.
29:27And he and his passenger
29:28are free to go.
29:30Having a hell of a day anytime.
29:32I'm having fun.
29:33Believe me,
29:34it's probably not the worst way
29:36it could have ended up.
29:37I'll do good.
29:38I'll walk you out.
29:41Well, it's been real, folks.
29:43Yeah.
29:43Have we been out?
29:44Yeah, I'll be safe.
29:47Maybe I can start
29:48my vacation now.
29:55Remember,
29:55see how this is?
29:56This is how come
29:57my door
29:57plugged open.
30:00So, what's y'all
30:00something, sir?
30:02Hopefully,
30:02they have a good time
30:03with their kids
30:04and have a good rest
30:06of their vacation
30:06and are a little bit smarter
30:07about where they're turning
30:08here in Detroit.
30:26in San Diego.
30:28Came from the
30:28yellow tail.
30:30There's nothing
30:31illegal about it.
30:32Okay.
30:34Agriculture specialist
30:35Ortega Fuentes
30:36is concerned a man
30:38may be smuggling
30:38rare fish bladders
30:40worth up to $80,000
30:42a piece
30:42on the black market.
30:44As a U.S. citizen,
30:46I feel like a criminal
30:47coming back
30:48into my own country.
30:49My only concern
30:50is with something
30:51that I found
30:52that we suspect
30:53is a fish bladder.
30:55I'm going to take
30:56a picture.
30:56No problem.
30:57I didn't smoke
30:58over here.
30:58No, no.
30:59We understand.
31:00We understand.
31:01You're good.
31:01Thank you, sir.
31:03The illegal trade
31:04of endangered species
31:06is estimated
31:07to be worth
31:07up to $10 billion
31:08a year.
31:11A call to the
31:12National Oceanic
31:13and Atmospheric
31:14Administration
31:14should confirm
31:16if these bladders
31:17are from the
31:18protected totowaba fish.
31:20So they're about
31:21six inches,
31:22I think, or more.
31:24I don't know.
31:25I'm not sure.
31:26That's what I'm calling you.
31:28If confirmed positive,
31:30the man could face
31:31a $25,000 fine
31:33and up to two decades
31:34in prison.
31:36I didn't break the law.
31:38This is the first time
31:39I've been put through this.
31:41I have a house in Baja.
31:42I come twice a month.
31:45Okay.
31:46Okay.
31:46Thank you so much.
31:49Bye.
31:50She's good with it.
31:53They can keep it.
31:55It's good news
31:56for the man.
31:57His claim
31:58that the bladders
31:59come from the yellow-tailed fish
32:00checks out
32:01and there will be
32:02no action taken
32:03for the undeclared clams.
32:06Okay.
32:08Okay.
32:08You can't...
32:08Get out of here.
32:09No, that's all.
32:11Be careful with the data, okay?
32:12I'm very happy.
32:12That's all I can say.
32:13Okay.
32:14Can you help me
32:15put everything back
32:15in the truck?
32:19And your name...
32:20Your name is Ortega Fuentes?
32:22Yes, sir.
32:24The man may be upset,
32:26but these types
32:27of inspections
32:28are crucial
32:29to protecting
32:30endangered species
32:30and stopping
32:32the black market trade.
32:34What an experience.
32:36Yes, sir.
32:37Thank you so much.
32:38I think it was
32:39a good inspection.
32:41Yeah, I'm looking out
32:42for my country,
32:43for the agriculture,
32:44for all the vegetation,
32:47the animals,
32:48everything.
32:49We are...
32:51We're doing our part.
33:07Inprogresso.
33:09All right, just put them here.
33:11It's not mine.
33:12You put it there,
33:13so you're responsible for it.
33:16I'm not telling you
33:16what you want to lose, right?
33:18A man has been detained
33:19after refusing
33:20to declare the bags
33:21he was carrying,
33:23claiming they belong
33:24to his friend.
33:28He was trying to say
33:29she was the one
33:29responsible for the bags,
33:31but to me,
33:31he's the one carrying the bags,
33:32so he was the one
33:34responsible for it.
33:35The man seems
33:36to be drunk,
33:38and although the bags
33:39appear to contain
33:40just cleaning products,
33:42officers want to be sure
33:44the couple isn't
33:45trying to distract them.
33:46We have a lot of people
33:47who do come in.
33:48They do come in
33:50inebriated
33:50and do come in,
33:52you know,
33:52and not their full senses,
33:53and we've seen
33:55where people take advantage
33:56of that to hinder
33:58the inspection
33:58or to try to get
34:00the officer
34:01to not pay attention
34:02to exactly what he's doing.
34:05Smugglers commonly
34:06hide methamphetamine
34:08inside everyday
34:09cleaning products,
34:10so Officer Gonzalez
34:11checks the containers.
34:16This is embarrassing,
34:17right?
34:19No blame to you
34:20when you do your job.
34:29He still insists
34:30the bags aren't his.
34:32What's happened,
34:34I'm helping her
34:35carry her bags.
34:36She told us,
34:36she told us.
34:37She claimed
34:38her full responsibility.
34:39But again,
34:40remember,
34:40you're coming in
34:41with the bags,
34:42tell her,
34:42you know.
34:43The officer asked me
34:44to put them
34:45on the counter.
34:45I said,
34:46I'm not cleaning them.
34:47I'm not cleaning them.
34:48But you were carrying them.
34:55anything in the bags, guys?
34:56It was negative.
34:57Negative?
34:57I opened the containers,
34:59it was nothing crystallized,
35:00nothing turned bad.
35:02It was nonsense.
35:03He's cleaning
35:03the paper for someone else, right?
35:07Yeah.
35:08With nothing suspicious
35:10found in the bags,
35:13you want to follow me this way,
35:14we'll get you the stuff out of the house.
35:16This time,
35:17the man will face
35:18no further action.
35:20You want to grab your bag, sir?
35:23I'll give you this outside.
35:24They're not my bag,
35:25they're her bags.
35:26I never cleaned them.
35:34Still defiant,
35:35the man is free
35:36to head home,
35:37leaving his friend
35:38to carry the bags.
35:42I don't know anyone
35:43who travels with bags
35:44that are not theirs.
35:45And even if you're
35:46helping them out,
35:46at this point,
35:47when you come in,
35:48you're supposed to declare
35:49everything you have with you.
36:09At the Juarez-Lincoln Bridge
36:11in Laredo.
36:13How many people today?
36:15Three.
36:15Three people.
36:16Does the window go down
36:17in the back?
36:18Following a recent
36:19smuggling trend,
36:21officers are carrying out
36:22a special operation,
36:24targeting lone travelers.
36:27Follow this officer right here.
36:30One vehicle has been sent
36:32to secondary inspection
36:33after the driver
36:34appeared nervous.
36:37He was too talkative.
36:39He started shaking
36:40and moving around a lot.
36:42It just,
36:43it didn't fit.
36:44It didn't seem right.
36:47Officers carry out
36:48a thorough search
36:49of the vehicle.
36:50Hey, what's up,
36:51seven or what?
36:52Yeah,
36:52I'm just gonna need the,
36:55everything's,
36:55I just need the hood,
36:57if you can hold it with that.
36:58Okay.
37:00So all this,
37:05see,
37:05so all this is dirty.
37:06I mean,
37:07nothing here
37:07has been touched.
37:12Let me get it.
37:14Six, four, nine, delta.
37:17This right here.
37:20This is way more cleaner
37:21than the rest.
37:24Clean areas
37:25can suggest
37:26the vehicle
37:26has been recently altered
37:28to hide something.
37:29You see that area
37:30over there?
37:31It's dirty.
37:33The whole truck
37:34is full of dirt,
37:35except that area right there.
37:36Zero, nine, three, delta.
37:43Suspecting there
37:44could be
37:44a secret compartment
37:45behind the dashboard,
37:48the team wants
37:49to take a closer look.
38:06Look at that.
38:07It's been taped
38:08before.
38:13Oh,
38:13look at that.
38:15There it is.
38:27in Laredo.
38:28Look at that.
38:29It's been taped
38:30before.
38:34Oh,
38:35look at that.
38:37Officers have found
38:38a secret compartment
38:39behind the dashboard
38:40of an SUV.
38:41There it is.
38:43It looks like steroids.
38:52It's a controlled substance.
38:56An estimated
38:57three to four million
38:58U.S. citizens
38:59use steroids.
39:01But since they are
39:02a controlled substance,
39:03they must be purchased
39:05with a prescription.
39:08While the driver
39:10is detained
39:10for questioning,
39:12officers begin
39:13the extraction.
39:17It looked like steroids.
39:19This one,
39:20it's been a lot.
39:23These steroids
39:24are artificial testosterone
39:25used to boost
39:27muscle mass.
39:28Since their misuse
39:29can cause heart attacks
39:30or strokes,
39:31they're heavily regulated,
39:33meaning a black market
39:35has emerged.
39:42Other prohibited
39:43meds are also found.
39:45These are diet pills
39:46that are not allowed
39:48to come in.
39:48They're not FDA approved.
39:51That's why it's
39:53so important
39:54to get it stopped here
39:55because we don't know
39:57what they're mixing
39:57or what they're saying
39:58it is.
40:01If convicted,
40:02the man could be facing
40:03up to five years
40:04in jail.
40:05Some of these things
40:06are dangerous.
40:07There's some of these
40:08things that can cause
40:10permanent liver damage,
40:11kidney damage,
40:12kidney failure.
40:15Today's haul
40:16of over 1,500
40:17illegal steroids
40:18and diet pills
40:19has a street value
40:21of at least
40:21$50,000.
40:23Somebody might actually
40:24get hurt
40:25or even
40:27like die from this.
40:29So I mean,
40:30I feel pretty good
40:31taking it off the street.
40:32It's a good day.
40:34The steroid industry
40:35is worth billions
40:36of dollars,
40:37but their misuse
40:38is rising among
40:39young men and women.
40:42These drugs
40:43will be tested
40:44and the driver
40:45handed over
40:46to Homeland Security
40:47Investigations.
40:58Homeland Security
41:03Investigations
41:14have a savoir
41:15The Third
41:18theęp
41:29ers
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