- 10 hours ago
Borderforce USA Season 7 Episode 7
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Short filmTranscript
00:15At the San Ysidro Port of Entry,
00:25the officers of Customs and Border Protection fight a constant battle
00:29against drug smugglers working for the Mexican cartels.
00:37As evening draws near, Officer Orozco decides to search a bus.
00:43The vehicle isn't carrying any passengers,
00:46and the young driver has 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.
01:22Specialized contractors are called in
01:24to drain the 185 gallons of fuel.
01:39Once empty, the tank is removed.
01:58And underneath...
01:59Wow.
02:00There we go.
02:01Oh, yeah.
02:02That's an access panel.
02:04They find a trap door.
02:07Now we just got to open it and see if there's anything in there.
02:10OK.
02:17We found something.
02:18Mike, Mike.
02:19What?
02:20We found it.
02:21Are we going to be taking jail?
02:22We have to do what we have to do.
02:23And meet a couple different things.
02:42PROGRESSO International Bridge.
02:45.
02:53Presidented by the
02:55Thousands of U.S. citizens cross here every day to buy discounted medication in Mexico.
03:07Meds can be up to 70% cheaper over the border, but must always be declared upon return.
03:20A lot of people are going for the dentist medication, the doctors, pedicures, and tacos, really.
03:28That's all I keep hearing. Hello, U.S. citizens, guys?
03:33Any medications y'all bringing back, like Tramadon? I know they tried to sell it to you over there.
03:37You didn't give in? No. No?
03:43It's late afternoon.
03:46Officer Zavala has just received intel about a man behaving suspiciously on the bridge.
03:53A traveler informed the CBP officer that they noticed that this male subject,
03:58before making entry, he was placing something inside his pockets.
04:01And it looked very strange.
04:03And he said, hey, I noticed that this man that's coming in and he looks like this.
04:07You guys might want to check him out.
04:11Soon, a man matching the description arrives.
04:16And is brought in for inspection.
04:30Now we have this male subject.
04:32He is waiting to be inspected.
04:33And he appears to be very nervous.
04:42And officers quickly discover undeclared vials hidden in his pockets and in his boots.
04:56Synthetic testosterone is a steroid sometimes used to increase muscle mass and improve athletic and sexual performance.
05:06Right at the other side.
05:07Since it's a controlled medication, failing to declare it at the border is a criminal offense.
05:14This man is now facing a hefty fine or even jail.
05:20What was your purpose for going to Mexico today?
05:24Therapeutic.
05:25To pick up, you know.
05:40At the San Ysidro Port of Entry, Officer Orozco is leading the search of a bus.
05:47That's an access panel.
05:48Now we just got to open it and see if there's anything in there.
05:53Officers have spotted an unusual panel on 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 it has been modified to hide narcotics.
06:09There's an access panel that you just use a screwdriver to take it off.
06:13Whatever they have in there, they can load it up, take it out.
06:23Wow, another one.
06:25It's different.
06:26It's literally a tank within a tank.
06:28I've never seen that.
06:30That's crazy.
06:47There we go.
06:51Behind the second panel is 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 consistent with narcotics smuggling.
07:18Woo!
07:20Oh!
07:20It's so fun.
07:21Yeah, baby.
07:22That's a freak right there.
07:24Wow, that's heavy.
07:25Insane.
07:26Insane.
07:26I haven't seen packages this big in my entire career.
07:31Just throw it on top.
07:33There you go.
07:3440.
07:3440.
07:35And as the packages are removed, it soon becomes clear that this is a huge and unprecedented load.
07:45In my experience, the size of the pricks and how well packed they are.
07:51It's going to be hard narco.
07:52Probably fentanyl, cocaine, something like that.
07:55Feels great.
07:56That's exactly why we're here.
07:58What's the percentage of it?
08:0020%.
08:0120%?
08:02Yeah.
08:0220%?
08:1730%.
08:18A Popeye Soчно I don't have.
08:20At Progreso International Bridge in Texas...
08:23He smuggled in testosterone?
08:26Yeah, poor vials.
08:28Officers are questioning a man
08:30caught smuggling controlled steroid medication
08:33across the border.
08:36During the pat-down, he had undeclared testosterone vials
08:39in his boot area and his pocket areas.
08:42What was your purpose for Puerto Mexico today?
08:46Therapeutic, to pick up, you know.
08:50You traveling with somebody else, sir?
08:51Yes, sir.
08:52Who's that?
08:52My girlfriend, we're living together.
08:55The man says he uses the testosterone
08:57to boost his performance.
09:01Although small amounts can legally be brought
09:03across the border,
09:05the man has made a mistake by not declaring it.
09:10They're adults.
09:11They know what they're doing.
09:12When someone hides it or conceals it
09:14from CBP officer's inspection,
09:16at that point, it will be considered smuggling.
09:20I have a prescription for it.
09:21I have a prescription for my vessel.
09:22I'm more than happy to come back and give it to you.
09:27Unfortunately, we cannot do that because of the method you were concealing.
09:31It's just cheaper down here.
09:32I know.
09:34He voluntarily says,
09:35I can go get the prescription from my vehicle.
09:37I explained to him that it's no longer valid because of the method he was smuggling that testosterone.
09:42Now that Officer Zavala is satisfied the man intentionally failed to declare the medication,
09:49she needs to decide what will happen to him next.
10:16He seems to have regretted the mistake he did, but we have to follow through and as of now,
10:22it will lead into prosecution.
10:25Trust me, I would try to save money again.
10:28Yeah.
10:29How much does it cost you in the U.S.?
10:31About $300.
10:32How much did you pay for them over there?
10:34$80.
10:38The man's attempt at saving money has come at a huge cost.
10:43Smuggling controlled medication can result in fines of thousands of dollars and up to
10:4810 years in jail.
10:51Local police officers arrive and escort him for further questioning.
10:57Many people, they know they talk, they pass the word around.
11:01They may think it's easier just to smuggle it.
11:04We don't know if he has done it before.
11:06I mean, we don't know if it's the first time, but I'm sure he'll learn his lesson.
11:23In San Ysidro.
11:27Wow.
11:28Another one.
11:29Of course.
11:30Here we go.
11:32Those are cellophane packages.
11:34That is definitely not supposed to be in there.
11:37Officers have found a secret compartment inside the fuel tank of a charter bus, loaded with
11:44suspicious packages.
11:46In my experience, it's going to be hard narco.
11:50Probably fentanyl, cocaine, something like that.
11:55I think we're done.
12:04Now it's empty.
12:07This is how it was secured to the glass tank with these wedges over here.
12:12It could have used on makeshift hardware to secure it to the sides of the square.
12:18At first glance, it looks something like electric tape, but obviously they put some type of adhesive
12:24that would have allowed it to endure moisture conditions.
12:27The box totals.
12:30The box totals.
12:3022.
12:3227.
12:3327.
12:3425.
12:3625.
12:38149 buried.
12:41With 149 bundles recovered, this has been a highly successful search.
12:48I personally have not seen bundles that thick.
12:50It's a very good feeling.
12:51It's a good learning experience and what to look out for for other buses that are probably
12:55doing the same thing.
12:56That's probably why we haven't seen it.
12:58We haven't caught it.
12:59The bricks are immediately field tested by Officer Moreno.
13:05It's a white powdery substance.
13:08Its consistency is similar to cocaine.
13:20For this particular field test, it should be a mixture of blue and pink.
13:24It will indicate that it tested positive.
13:30And it does.
13:31We have a color affirmation for pink and blue.
13:35The positive for cocaine.
13:39It is positive.
13:40We just confirmed it right now, the field test kit.
13:44The cocaine was likely shipped by one of Mexico's powerful drug cartels, who went to
13:50great lengths to engineer a hiding place that they hoped would evade detection.
13:57What I noticed after they took the tank out, this is just a piece of plywood.
14:02There should not be a piece of plywood under a gas tank.
14:05That's probably a fire hazard.
14:08But if they lift it, you can see tack welds right here.
14:13These welds, that's more than likely they cut the sheet metal off so they could access the
14:20access panel under the tank and get to the drugs.
14:23So they were going from underneath.
14:26These panels right here, they're very thin.
14:30You can kind of push on.
14:32So they more than likely just lifted it all the way down to access that panel underneath.
14:40And then they re-welded it back together.
14:44The huge load is weighed.
14:48It came back as all being cocaine.
14:51After weighing the 149 packages, we got over 221 kilos confirmed.
14:59The drugs have a street value of a staggering $6.5 million.
15:06The young driver, likely employed by the cartel, could be looking at 20 years behind bars.
15:16It's definitely the reason why I'm on this team.
15:19That's kind of my thing.
15:20I get the adrenaline rush out of finding dope.
15:24And I've been on this unit for about four years now.
15:27That's an amazing day.
15:29That's an amazing day.
15:30But you know what?
15:30We'll be back tomorrow to do it again.
15:32Where is it?
15:33Where is it?
15:37Where is it?
15:39Where is it?
16:07AQI, referring a vehicle to lane three.
16:11350 million people cross the U.S.-Mexico border each year.
16:26And some bring extra passengers along for the ride.
16:50Today, Officer Fuentes has stopped a family, attempting to cross back into the U.S. with
16:57a furry friend.
17:09Larry, the ferret, has been on a road trip to Mexico and is now returning home to the
17:15United States.
17:17I actually did that ferret from Atlanta, Georgia.
17:19So, they came down, they went to Mexico.
17:22They did their business.
17:23They're coming back.
17:25Due to the threat of diseases, such as rabies, there are strict requirements for animals
17:31that cross the border.
17:32Those classed as wildlife rather than pets face even tougher rules.
17:40Officer Fuentes needs to establish whether ferrets are considered domestic or wild animals.
17:48We're looking to see if the actual animal is a type of animal that can be brought across,
17:53like a cat, like a pet, dog, or even a rabbit.
17:57I'm going to go check it out because I don't know what it is, really.
18:02Officers make a call to the Fish and Wildlife Service.
18:10If they decide Larry doesn't qualify to enter the U.S., the couple will have to turn back
18:16to Mexico.
18:19We look at this paperwork to see if all the meds are up-to-date and we'll see what they
18:24say.
18:37Infection and secondary, lieutenant officer, help us out.
18:43CBP officers are on constant lookout for felons attempting to cross in and out of the country.
18:51On average, 86 wanted criminals are apprehended at U.S. borders every day.
18:58You see that all the time where somebody might not have traveled for six months by warrant
19:04on the record.
19:07And for whatever reason, they don't think customs checks when they come back through.
19:12So we run them a fingerprint, confirm the warrant, and then they're here overnight.
19:18When background checks indicate someone is wanted, officers immediately detain them.
19:36Today at Progresso International Bridge, a man has been flagged as having an active arrest warrant.
19:49The officers notice the man has been injured.
19:52He's intoxicated, but we also notice that he has blood coming from his nose.
19:56Do you have any injuries, sir, in your body or anything like that?
19:59Shoulder bed, shoulder bed.
20:00Right here?
20:01Your left?
20:02This one right here?
20:03Okay.
20:04What happened to your nose?
20:05You're bleeding.
20:07Since they don't have any information about the man's alleged crime, Officer Cantu is assigned
20:13to investigate.
20:16Fingerprints confirms if that's the person we were looking for and that.
20:21It will show that he has an outstanding warrant on his print, too.
20:24But in order to ensure they have the right person, he will need to be identified.
20:30What's going to happen right now?
20:32I'm going to take your fingerprints.
20:33Wow.
20:35It's fine, bro.
20:36I don't know what's going on.
20:37Like I said, I was trying to cross back after eating.
20:40Mm-hmm.
20:41And that's all.
20:42Yeah.
20:47Well, we're not going to have any problems, right?
20:48No, bro.
20:51Having dinner, bro.
20:52I'm just asking.
20:53I'm hungry.
20:55He claims to have crossed the border for a meal and appears to have returned intoxicated.
21:02Let me take your prints first, man, so I can put you in the cell.
21:04That's my reasoning.
21:06Let me take your prints so I can put you in the cell.
21:10The suspect refuses to have his fingerprints taken.
21:13Because I don't know what's going on, actually.
21:15I'm trying to cross the border and I'm normally...
21:17Come on, man.
21:18Nothing, nothing wrong.
21:20Go on.
21:21Come on.
21:22Come on.
21:23Come on, man.
21:27I just need to take a prints, that's it.
21:29Okay.
21:35Sorry.
21:36You're going to take a prints or not?
21:37Yeah.
21:38What's going on?
21:39All right.
21:39Well, you don't let me explain to you.
21:41Okay.
21:41Go ahead.
21:42I'm trying to...
21:43I need to take your prints to make sure if it's you that want it or not want it.
21:47I need to take your prints first before anything else.
21:50I'm fine.
21:51If you're going to be not letting me, then you can stay here until you're ready.
21:55Okay.
21:56Come on.
21:57With the man refusing to comply, he will now have to sober up in a cell.
22:16AOL on the lane 4, AOL.
22:19In Texas, a family returning to the U.S. is under inspection because they're accompanied
22:26by a ferret.
22:28Oh, that's so cute.
22:30Does he have a name?
22:31Larry.
22:31Larry.
22:34Officer Fuentes is awaiting confirmation from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service that ferrets
22:41are classed as domestic pets.
22:44If not, then Larry will be considered a wild animal and is likely to be refused entry.
22:51If it's kind of like a, I would say, I shouldn't say exotic, but like not a very usual animal.
22:57Unfortunately, some people, they try to go into Mexico, they try to come back.
23:01Well, that's a problem.
23:03We have to pick those animals up.
23:09As he waits for an answer on Larry's status, Officer Fuentes checks the couple's other paperwork.
23:22They had all their papers, they have the vet papers from this side, all the rabies vaccine,
23:28all the meds are up to date.
23:30Soon, Fish and Wildlife calls back.
23:34They confirm that ferrets are classed as domestic pets.
23:48Larry is now free to pass back into the U.S.
23:54We don't get a lot of ferrets around here.
23:59I've been here for a while, been like 31 years, and it's probably my third ferret actually.
24:04That's pretty neat.
24:07I don't know.
24:22Oh, traffic, prairie, prairie, oh traffic.
24:27In Progresso, officers have detained a man who is believed to be wanted.
24:37the suspect is intoxicated and has so far refused to have his fingerprints taken
24:44i need to take your prints to make sure if it's you that want it or not want it
24:49if you're going to be not letting me then you can stay here till you're ready
24:54until he has his prints officer kantu is unable to confirm whether the man is definitely the
24:59person named on the warrant you're gonna do it yes or no yes sir okay come on i don't need
25:06to do it
25:07i'm trying to go home okay right here left hand
25:13come on man relax your hand step back a little bit look at the camera
25:34so it's going to take about 20 minutes for me to confirm if it's you or not all right
25:40do you know you have anything pending anywhere
25:43you don't you've been arrested lady you have no idea you don't have court pending you don't have
25:49anything pending any charges no arrest lady i'll let you know as soon as i know
25:59officer kantu soon hears back from mccallon pd the fingerprints were a match the subject has five
26:08outstanding warrants for one for methamphetamine hydro cannabis synthetic cannabis possession of
26:16dangerous drugs and possession and delivery five outstanding warrants at this time mccallon pd did
26:26confirm they will be coming and picking up the subject despite the man's claims of ignorance
26:33it appears he's been arrested multiple times for a variety of drug offenses
26:39just so you know mccallon pd will be coming out here
26:43you have five of us then your warrants i have warrants yes i don't got it
26:51uh there's five different ones man yes for methamphetamine cannabis
26:58for my name for your name your prints so i mean if you have an attorney whatever you can deal
27:05with
27:05that when you get over there i'm just letting you know what's going to happen
27:10most of these guys they all claim the same thing they have no idea they had a pending warrant some
27:15say
27:15they weren't notified they didn't get a letter for whatever reason but some will admit some won't
27:22like this guy he's just plain saying he has no idea what happened mccallon police department arrives
27:28to take the man into custody all right man have a good night good luck man
27:38he will appear before a judge in the morning where he'll have to answer for his alleged crimes
27:56drug cartels employ all kinds of techniques to evade detection
28:00yes but their most common strategy is to conceal narcotics deep within a vehicle
28:13to try to catch them in the act tonight officer sarayan and his team are conducting an operation
28:25randomly selecting cars for detailed inspections this is a great operation to do because people
28:32don't expect it if they see any sort of signs of tampering or a person looks a little suspicious
28:37a random x-ray screening to see if there's any sort of contraband in the car
28:42we've caught a lot of people doing this and i think it's a great operation i love it
28:48it's 8 30 in the evening and a vehicle arriving from mexico has been stopped
28:56be careful because the head of the car
28:59like like what like like like drugs or no
29:02just smells i wish it was drunk oh it just smells like bad
29:05it's so funny
29:08with a strange smell coming from within the car officer sarayan questions the driver and passenger
29:16what were you doing over there in mexico
29:18how long were you there for
29:22they're teenagers who claim to have been visiting relatives
29:27and how do you know you know you know you know you know you know you know you know you
29:32know
29:34he was a little shaky with me when i asked him how long they've been together he had to look
29:38at
29:38her for like approval kind of suspicious and also i just got a red flag from the girl she went
29:43like
29:43this like for me like how i see that is does she not want to be seen with him is
29:48that really her
29:48boyfriend i always say if you lie you can lie about anything because that's just how people work
29:53okay the car will be searched the car will be searched
30:17oh my god
30:18it smells like rotten eggs smells like something died in that car
30:26with the powerful stench making it difficult to even inspect the vehicle officer diaz arrives to assist
30:35this is probably one of the stinkiest car i've ever been inside
30:42he got like a rotten egg smell to it
30:46the smell is there i just cannot pinpoint where is it coming from
30:53honestly it smells like a public bathroom and this smells is not something normal
31:01although there's nothing illegal about the smell
31:04officers want to identify the source in case there's an illicit explanation
31:10it's definitely on the chemical side but at the same time it feels organic officer diaz questions the
31:17couple to see if they can shed any light on the mysterious odor are you the ones with the black
31:25cadillac
31:26already i just need you to stay seated for a moment but their answers
31:30only add to his suspicions they say that what are you talking about the car doesn't smell which
31:36it's clearly does the smell is definitely coming from the driver's side
31:42so
32:07uh
32:09okay
32:11Each year, half a million firearms are smuggled from the United States into Mexico, where
32:17the laws on gun ownership are much stricter.
32:22Going outbound towards Mexico, we're going to be looking for firearms, ammunitions.
32:26We might have a camper full of stuff all the way to the top.
32:30So our officers have to check every single thing, make sure they're not hiding in some
32:35certain places.
32:35Our officers work hard and they try to check thoroughly everything.
32:38Smuggled firearms typically go straight into the hands of the cartels, and it's become
32:45such a problem, the Mexican border has earned the nickname, the Iron River.
32:56This evening, Officer Garcia is carrying out checks on a driver with a heavily loaded van.
33:03We do for sure need to check them out.
33:05So we're hoping to find anything, firearms, ammunition, ammo, anything that we can find
33:10that we can seize.
33:12As the officers run items through the X-ray scanner, the driver appears nervous.
33:40Nothing is standing out, but Officer Garcia still has to work his way to the bottom.
33:48Negative on these.
33:53With so many items in the van, a canine is brought in to speed up the search.
34:05Yeah.
34:08We had our boxes lined up, and we let our canine take a little whack at it and see what
34:13they
34:13could maybe hit on something.
34:16The dog begins to show interest, and alerts on a bag by sitting down.
34:29All right, let's see what we got.
34:35There it is.
34:38So right here, you have like a barrel, one barrel, and then right about here, you have
34:48one pistol, and you have a scope right here.
34:51The bag is full of weapon parts.
34:54Officers immediately detain the driver.
35:06In Hidalgo, Texas, officers Sarian and Diaz are investigating a foul-smelling car.
35:19Honestly, it smells like a public bathroom, and this smells is not something normal.
35:25With no obvious source of the odor.
35:29It's definitely on the chemical side, but at the same time, it feels organic.
35:35Officers now suspect it may have been deliberately planted in order to mask the smell of narcotics
35:41from the canines.
35:45They usually try to deter on the narcotics itself.
35:48They'll wrap it in like the dryer sheets and stuff like that, and like pour like maybe
35:53like food on it, something like that, you know, just to like deter the dog from the
35:57narcotics.
35:59But these tactics rarely work.
36:04Canine, secondary.
36:08The canine unit arrives to check over the vehicle.
36:17The smell is definitely coming from the driver's side.
36:26Although it doesn't indicate, the dog shows interest in the dashboard.
36:31We're going to try to get it through the x-ray to see if there's something inside the frame
36:35or something hiding.
36:39The car is sent through the x-ray.
37:03The x-ray was pretty clear.
37:05There was nothing organic or nothing hidden within the frame of the vehicle.
37:09After doing my physical inspection, after knowing canine was negative as well, and taking it
37:14to the x-ray machine, I'm pretty satisfied with like the result that there was nothing
37:18there.
37:20Although the vehicle is clear of any contraband, Officer Diaz is convinced it may have been a
37:26test, in an attempt to literally throw officers off the scent.
37:33I do believe that this was just a test run to see if we were going to inspect the vehicle,
37:37in what areas we were going to be searching.
37:40Over my five-year career, I never have anything like that, with that smell that strong.
38:01Bravo, give us one mic.
38:03At the Camino Real International Bridge.
38:06So right here, you have like a barrel, one barrel.
38:12And then right about here, you have one pistol.
38:16A driver with a van heavily loaded with goods has been detained, after a scan of a bag revealed
38:24a gun.
38:25We're going to take it inside and verify everything.
38:32Yes, sir.
38:34The gift though keeps on giving.
38:40Officer Garcia, inspects the contents of the bag more closely.
38:53Most possibly one.
39:02This one looks like it's wrapped in a jean.
39:09This one looks like it's wrapped in a jean.
39:17A gun that's a rifle bearer.
39:19This one looks like a gun.
39:23And also a little poster for it.
39:30A small kind of a, more like for personal defence.
39:35The search reveals a small pistol and the disassembled parts of a rifle, in a clear attempt to conceal
39:43it.
39:45Rem oil, firearm lubricant.
39:47Nice.
39:50The actual official count for what we see today
39:52is one rifle, one pistol, and one scope.
39:56The officers checked that the guns aren't stolen.
40:00What would you say the one brand of this is?
40:04And confirmed their street value.
40:08So as of right now, the guns aren't reported stolen.
40:12This rifle has a street value of about $600, $700 with the revolver.
40:18The price on this one is $110.
40:23It's likely that the man was trying
40:25to sell the weapons on the black market in Mexico,
40:28where he could make double their value.
40:31Instead, he is now looking at a minimum of five years in jail.
40:37It's a good seizure.
40:38We got weapons.
40:39We caught him with weapons going into Mexico.
40:41It feels good taking these guns out of the street.
40:44We might have saved somebody's life,
40:46somebody that might have been killed.
41:00We'll be right back when they see the gun.
41:01Bye-bye.
41:04Bye-bye.
41:09Bye-bye.
41:10Bye-bye.
41:11Bye-bye.
41:14Bye-bye.
41:16Bye-bye.
41:45Transcription by CastingWords
41:58CastingWords
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