- 5 hours ago
Borderforce USA Season 7 Episode 11
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Short filmTranscript
00:16At the San Ysidro port of entry, in a single month, Customs and Border Protection officers
00:25here seized nearly one and a half tons of narcotics, worth nearly $27 million.
00:32Can you pop the trunk, please?
00:33Of course.
00:34He's good.
00:35Have a good day.
00:36You too.
00:38This afternoon, Officer Fessia has referred a vehicle to secondary inspection after the
00:45driver appeared nervous.
00:48At first, when I was talking to the traveler, he was very hesitant in answering my questions.
00:52And then when I asked if he was bringing back anything from Mexico, he went to hand me
00:56a bottle of ibuprofen.
00:58And when he was handing me the bottle, I noticed that he was shaking a little bit.
01:02So I sent it to the back for further screening.
01:05While the driver is detained, the car is x-rayed.
01:12All right.
01:12You wanted to see the image?
01:13Yeah.
01:14Stay with me.
01:33The x-ray shows dark shapes inside the spare tire located in the trunk.
01:40Officer Fessia carries out a physical inspection.
01:44I'm going to take this out.
01:47See, that's fine.
01:54It's flat.
01:54Obviously, there's no air in it.
01:56And something doesn't feel right.
02:00When I push on it, I can feel a crunch.
02:03Very clear day, there's been something altered.
02:05There's something that is in this tire.
02:12OK, now I'm back on there.
02:13We found something.
02:15Mike, Mike.
02:16Go ahead.
02:16Spotted.
02:17Are we going to be picked again?
02:19We have to do what we have to do.
02:30Good night.
02:31Good morning.
02:32Good morning.
02:34The Progresso International Bridge.
02:36Good afternoon, do me a favor, remove your glasses so I can see your face here.
02:40Thousands of U.S. citizens cross here every day to eat, drink and shop in Mexico.
02:48Y'all have a good one.
02:49Stay safe.
02:50Yes, sir, you as well.
02:51But anyone with an outstanding warrant for their arrest will be apprehended on their return.
02:57Hello, sir.
02:58Thank you, brother.
02:58Good, good, sir.
02:59Look at this camera.
03:07It's the afternoon and a man is detained at primary inspection.
03:14So when running his documents in primary, the officer got an NCIC hit is what we call it.
03:19It's a warrant.
03:21So what they're going to do right now is run his fingerprints in our station right here
03:25to make sure that it in fact is him.
03:27And if it is, then what we have to do is contact the agency through sector and see what they
03:32want
03:32us to do with it.
03:33It's all up to the agency who put in the warrant.
03:36Officers don't have any details about the man's alleged crime,
03:39and he seems surprised to have been stopped.
03:43Do you have anything pending that you know of?
03:45No, that's why I'm really confused, man.
03:48They need to make sure they've got the right person.
03:51So Officer Peña runs his fingerprints to confirm they match the warrant.
03:56Give me your left hand.
03:59Any run-ins with the law?
04:01No.
04:01Any tickets you haven't paid or showed up to court?
04:03Nothing like that?
04:04No.
04:05Until confirmation comes through, the man's escorted to the holding cell.
04:10Right in here.
04:11Do I get to call my attorney again?
04:13So, as per us, you're not arrested.
04:16You're detained.
04:16Okay.
04:17Once you get arrested, that's when you get to call your attorney.
04:19As of now, you're good, man.
04:21Any water or anything like that?
04:22Some water would be good, yeah.
04:24I'll go ahead and bring you some water right now.
04:29While they wait for the results of the fingerprints,
04:32Officer Peña wants to know if he has any idea why he might have been stopped.
04:37As of now, you're not humble, but it's just, it's genuinely confusing.
04:41Well, you know what?
04:42Sometimes God puts you in situations because he's trying to teach you something.
04:46Maybe it has nothing to do with this, but maybe there's something else, you know?
04:50I'm afraid with all my heart I'll fall in the letter of the law.
04:53The results are back, but there's an issue.
04:57The fingerprints weren't a match.
04:59I don't know what the circumstance of his whole situation is,
05:04but I don't know if he's ever been arrested before.
05:06Clearly, his fingerprints are good.
05:08When fingerprints don't match a warrant, further checks need to be carried out.
05:14NCC is actually out of Donna PD.
05:16So I'm going to contact Sector, confirm that he's still wanted.
05:21While they wait to hear back...
05:23Okay, thank you. Have a good day, sir. Bye-bye.
05:26All the men can do is hope that it's a mistake.
05:49...at the San Ysidro Port of Entry.
05:53Dead tires, I'm reloading.
05:55Officer Fessia suspects a driver entering from Mexico
05:59may have narcotics stashed in the spare wheel of his car.
06:02Ugh.
06:04It's flat. Obviously, there's no air in it.
06:07When I push on it, I can feel a crunch.
06:09It's moved to a secure location for further inspection.
06:15This is our narcotics building.
06:16This is where all the drugs that we find here at the port are seized and stored.
06:22So I make sure I don't hit a package.
06:25If there are drugs inside, cutting into a package could put the officer at risk of exposure.
06:33Feels like they're all, like, rich here.
06:44And there it is.
06:48Fat one, huh?
06:55So I got to make sure I don't feel, like, little pills.
06:59Because they've also sent, like, fentanyl pills in these type of bundles.
07:04Fentanyl is one of the most dangerous substances CBP officers encounter.
07:09Just two milligrams, the size of a few grains of salt, can be lethal.
07:14I got to make sure it's not fentanyl. So I'm going to go. I got to test that.
07:19To avoid the risk of accidental inhalation,
07:23officers test the package inside an extraction chamber.
07:29And don't have to wait long for answers.
07:37Can I pause it for now?
07:41Yeah.
07:57In Progresso.
07:59That guy's got me for everything.
08:01You know, I'm humble.
08:02Like, it's just, it's genuinely confusing.
08:04A U.S. citizen returning home has been detained for an outstanding arrest warrant.
08:10But when officers run his fingerprints, there's an unexpected result.
08:15The fingerprints weren't a match. I don't know if he's ever been arrested before.
08:19Clearly, his fingerprints are good.
08:21They need confirmation that he is the wanted man.
08:24But until that's received, the suspect continues to stay upbeat.
08:30I got a joke for you. If you're American when you go in the restroom, and you're American when
08:36you come out of the restroom, what are you when you're inside using the restroom?
08:42European.
08:45Oh, thank you. Thank you. I'll be here probably a little bit till I get out.
08:49But his positivity might not last much longer, with officers receiving information about the warrant.
08:57You're going to save them.
08:58Oh, they're down that way?
09:00OK.
09:00Great.
09:01Confirmation comes through that he's a match,
09:05along with details of his alleged crime.
09:08The reason why he's being detained right now is for stolen property. So if they are accusing him
09:16of stealing property, they probably don't have his fingerprints on the system. But that's something
09:20that he has to deal with the Donna PD. Officer Peña delivers the news to see if it jogs his
09:27memory.
09:28Well, they're on their way to pick you up. Donna PD, OK? The warrant. It's for stolen property.
09:35Interesting, because I think I know what this is about. So I was investigated because some foreign
09:40woman made some allegations about being with that. I could not have cooperated more with that
09:45officer. That's why I'm really confused.
09:47OK. So I think it probably has to do with the same reason that you're telling me.
09:51But, I mean, you're saying that this is all a misunderstanding, right?
09:54Yeah. Absolutely, yeah.
09:56You have never been arrested at all?
09:57No, no.
09:58No, never?
09:58No.
10:00Although he maintains his innocence, an officer from Donna PD
10:04arrives to transfer the man to county jail.
10:09You can grab your shoes.
10:20You know what? Just follow me. I can take you out there over here.
10:29God bless you.
10:30Likewise.
10:31You have a good one.
10:33I stand with the food no matter what.
10:35God's got me here for a reason.
10:38Right now, the subject has been turned over to Donna PD. He was definitely a character.
10:43I hope that if this is a misunderstanding, it gets solved.
10:47The man's transported to county jail, where he'll be given the opportunity to plead his case in front
10:53of a judge. If found guilty of theft, he faces a hefty fine or even jail time.
11:09In San Ancidro.
11:11Oh, traffic. Primary. Primary. Oh, traffic.
11:15Came back positive for meth?
11:16Yeah.
11:18Officer Fessia has found packages of meth hidden inside a spare tire.
11:24The package came back positive for meth.
11:26So I'm finished removing the rest of the packages that were in the spare tire.
11:30Last year, CBP officers seized 174,000 pounds of methamphetamine,
11:38making it the most intercepted narcotic on the U.S.-Mexico border.
11:506, 7, yeah, I think it's the last one.
11:56No.
11:57There it is. This is the last one.
12:00Finally.
12:03All right, we got 11 bundles of methamphetamine.
12:08With all of the packages removed, they will now be weighed.
12:13These packages are wrapped in, like, clear cellophane wrapping. It also has dryer sheets in it.
12:18The dryer sheets are supposed to help with the smell for the dog,
12:20thinking it'll throw off the dog's scent. Oh, just like someone has, like, laundry or something
12:25in the back of it. We're gonna have 11 bundles. We're weighing a total of 11.34 kilograms.
12:34That's over $226,000 worth of meth that officers have kept off the streets.
12:41Here, meth is very common. It's the majority of what flies through the sport.
12:45Starting to see that, like, meth is the new weed. It's so common.
12:50Now that I've weighed everything tested, it's positive for methamphetamine.
12:53It will place the subject under arrest for the importation of narcotics into the United States
12:57and just let them know that it's not going to be released.
13:01Hiding narcotics inside a spare tire shows the length smugglers will go
13:06to get their illicit goods over the border.
13:11But this driver is now facing a minimum of 10 years in prison.
13:16Being here from San Diego, this is a little more home, seeing, like, how much comes to this border.
13:22That's why I signed up to do this job. I want to keep my community safe,
13:26so it keeps me a little more motivated to make sure I'm doing this my job to the fullest every
13:30day I'm here.
13:30I want to keep going.
13:35Let's get ready.
13:53Let's go.
14:00Every day, unofficial couriers known as paqueteros cross the Camino Real Bridge, transporting
14:07goods between Mexico and the U.S.
14:14Their vehicles require extra scrutiny because they're known to carry guns and cash for cartels
14:21hidden within the shipments.
14:23Paqueteros, they bring a lot of stuff for people that they claim that it's family, you
14:28know, that's usually their story.
14:30But whenever they bring it over, they really don't know what they have.
14:33So a lot of the times when they get caught with something, it's kind of like their main
14:36excuse, right, of getting out of it that they don't really know what it was or, oh, I had
14:40no idea that it was there.
14:42Tonight, a group of paqueteros traveling from Texas to Mexico has been sent to secondary
14:48inspection.
14:50They're known to bring firearms or ammo through the border, so that's why we're searching
14:54it today.
14:55Officers carry out a full physical inspection of the truck for any hidden contraband.
15:01Trying to look for any bolts that look a little bit out of place.
15:05Sometimes you'll see some bolts that are stripped, and that might be of interest to kind of look
15:08into.
15:09CBP Tech Ramirez, who's training to become an officer, joins the search.
15:15Well, my responsibilities right now are to us as the officers.
15:18I usually help them out with looking at vehicles and going through people's baggage.
15:24It's my way of, like, protecting the U.S.
15:27What we're looking for?
15:28Anything that seems weird, out of the normal.
15:36It's tequila.
15:38Bunch of clothing.
15:47Ooh.
15:49Sanchez!
15:51What's up?
15:52What is this?
15:53Amon.
15:54Oh, okay.
15:56Yeah.
15:57So, as you can see here, she found some rounds.
16:01Right now, it looks like they are 9 millimeters.
16:04It's at least, I would say, 10 or 12 of them.
16:08Last year, CBP seized nearly 1 million rounds of ammunition at the southern border, most destined
16:17for the cartels.
16:18It's a big deal, but it's not very common to see, like, pistol rounds.
16:22These people are coming in right now, they did not declare this ammo, so that's a big
16:26no-no.
16:27Smuggling ammo is a federal crime, punishable with up to 15 years in jail.
16:33These men now have a lot of explaining to do.
16:53Anyone crossing the U.S. border with more than $10,000 must declare it.
16:58Good morning, sir.
17:00How are you?
17:01Failure to do so can result in the money being seized, paying a heavy fine, or even jail time.
17:08Do you have anything else to declare?
17:10I don't know.
17:11All right.
17:13You have a great day, sir.
17:15This afternoon, on the Ambassador Bridge, a driver entering the U.S. from Canada has been
17:22sent for secondary inspection.
17:23I was just notified that we have a referral.
17:27He's an Indian citizen.
17:29He was heading to Detroit airport to pick up his friends, which are flying to Detroit.
17:35A search reveals a large number of envelopes that officers need to investigate.
17:55The man explains that the envelopes contain paychecks.
18:01But since the recipients already signed them, they can now be cashed by anyone, meaning they're
18:08considered currency.
18:11Okay.
18:12How do you know him?
18:13You work with him, or what?
18:14He's my friend, and we live together.
18:16I'm just wondering, you guys are making all these checks.
18:18Why aren't we cashing them?
18:21All right.
18:21Go inside.
18:22I'll talk to you soon for that.
18:24The man is sent inside for further questioning.
18:30What do you know about currency declaration when you cross from Canada to United States?
18:36If we have any money more than, I think, $10,000, we have to declare it?
18:41If you have $9,000, do you have to declare it?
18:44I don't know.
18:45I don't have any money.
18:46So you have to declare, okay, all your currency.
18:49You have to declare checks.
18:52Any undeclared currency over $10,000 can be seized, and the carrier charged with a criminal
18:59offense.
19:00One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine.
19:06So you got about 11 checks up here.
19:11And every check was over $1,300.
19:14And these 11 checks put this traveler well over the limit.
19:18So he never cashed these checks?
19:22They must have already, like, put that in their accounts.
19:25So they keep the record.
19:29They keep that checks.
19:31The man claims his friend has already deposited the checks using his phone.
19:36And the paper versions are only being kept as a record.
19:40So you all live together?
19:42Yeah.
20:02I found out they were already deposited.
20:05Actually, all of them.
20:08I see no issue.
20:09So I'm going to release them.
20:12The man's story adds up.
20:14All the checks have already been cashed and are no longer classed as currency.
20:20This is not an issue.
20:21Make sure you are aware what's in a vehicle, you know, when you cross from Canada to United States.
20:29Last year alone, CBP seized $45 million in undeclared and illegal currency.
20:36All right, my friend.
20:37Present a piece of paper to the guys outside so you can leave.
20:41And these are all the checks back there.
20:47This driver is now free to leave and pick up his friends from the airport.
21:10An eagle pass.
21:12Oh.
21:15Sanchez!
21:18Officers have stopped a group of Pocatero's head in.
21:21Heading to Mexico.
21:23What's up?
21:24What is it?
21:25Ammo.
21:26Oh, okay.
21:28Taking any amount of ammunition across the border into Mexico without the correct paperwork
21:34carries a sentence of up to 15 years.
21:38I found it inside a duffel bag in the bottom of the bag underneath pants.
21:42Since it was on the bottom of everything, to me it seemed like it was concealed.
21:46Even though there's only about a dozen rounds, if the ammo reaches Mexico,
21:51it could be used in deadly cartel operations.
21:55They could be bringing ammo out, and then when they're coming back, bring over narcotics
22:00or anything that they're trying to, you know, conceal for quick money.
22:04Officer Sanchez believes the men could be hiding more ammunition, cash, or narcotics.
22:11We're gonna go ahead and let the supervisor know that we need a pat-down of the individuals.
22:18All four men will be escorted to a holding cell, where officers will perform a full body search.
22:31Meanwhile, officers finish checking the truck.
22:36I'm seeing if there's any bullets or guns.
22:42Yeah, nothing here.
22:45I'm not sure what these are.
22:47These look like calabaza.
22:52People hide a lot of stuff in the coolers, especially in the bottom.
22:57That's usually where you find all the prohibited items in the bottom of the coolers.
23:04Anything else to check?
23:08Yeah, I'm good with it.
23:17The pat-down's done.
23:18No weapons of any sort, no currency, no more ammo, any firearms or anything like that.
23:25With nothing else found in any of the searches, Officer Sanchez delivers the verdict.
23:31So, the only reason why we had to be in the review of you for the bullets, right?
23:39So, they're prohibited.
23:42At the end of the day, there's nothing going to happen today, okay?
23:44Very little amount.
23:47So, the supervisor said that they're going to chance on the day of today.
23:50What?
23:51What was it on the line?
23:52It was like a little black bag.
23:55I don't want to say it was intentional.
23:57I don't want to say it was for someone else or something.
24:00I just want to say, be careful.
24:02But as I say, just be careful, leave it here in the United States.
24:06You don't have it in Mexico, okay?
24:10Because they only found a small amount of ammo,
24:13officers are satisfied it's a genuine mistake.
24:17But the bullets must be safely disposed of in the U.S.
24:20before the men can cross into Mexico.
24:27They've narrowly avoided prosecution.
24:29But it's still a win for CBP Tech Ramirez.
24:33The Tech do a really good job helping us out.
24:36Really can't ask for anything more than that, right?
24:38To really be digging into it and assisting us in what we're doing, right?
24:58On the Mexican side of the Progreso International Bridge,
25:03the town of Nuevo Progreso is home to hundreds of pharmacies
25:07selling controlled medications at discounted prices.
25:11All right, sir, have a good day.
25:13You too.
25:13Thanks.
25:15Although CBP has strict rules on the amount travelers
25:18are allowed to return with.
25:20You got to be careful.
25:22You're only allowed one bottle every 30 days.
25:25Each year, thousands of Americans try to sneak more through.
25:31Hi, ma'am.
25:32Yes, ma'am.
25:33Can you go ahead and see the other bench for me?
25:35Oh, okay.
25:36This afternoon, a 60-year-old woman returning home
25:39has been referred to secondary inspection.
25:43What did you do in Mexico today?
25:44Well, I came to the dentist.
25:46You got some tramadol coming back today?
25:48Yes.
25:50You know that tramadol is a narcotic, right?
25:52No, I don't know.
25:54Tramadol is an opioid painkiller,
25:56and due to its addictive nature,
25:58it's classed as a controlled substance in the U.S.
26:01So right now, you have 120,
26:04but you're only allowed to be bringing 50.
26:06Okay, ma'am.
26:06Are you traveling with anyone today?
26:08Oh, my daughter, ma'am.
26:10I'm just gonna check under these bottles.
26:12Yes, ma'am.
26:13Each bottle should contain 60 pills.
26:24So it looks like there's two bottles inside of one.
26:27One bottle is 60, so it'll be 120 pills.
26:29All right.
26:30This bottle alone contains more than twice the legal amount,
26:34and the woman has two of them.
26:38Hey, ma'am, after a quick check,
26:40you have two bottles in here.
26:41Why?
26:42I don't have no idea.
26:43They don't give it away for Freemus.
26:45They only do it if you ask.
26:46Officer Terrio believes the woman deliberately added
26:50twice the number of pills to each bottle,
26:52hoping to smuggle in more than legally allowed.
26:56This says 60 pills in the bottle.
26:58There's 120 in the bottle.
27:00So why?
27:00I don't have no idea.
27:02I'm sorry.
27:02You do have an idea.
27:03Like I said, they don't do it for free,
27:04and they don't put it unless they're asked.
27:05Did you want to have four?
27:07And you asked them to put them in there?
27:08No, no, two.
27:08I've got to...
27:09Did they suggest to put it in if you wanted?
27:10I don't have no idea on that, but I bought those two.
27:13They're narcotics.
27:14Okay.
27:15You have twice the amount of here,
27:16which is drug smuggling.
27:17So you are now in a drug smuggling.
27:19Oh, my God.
27:20Really?
27:21I'm serious.
27:22I mean, I'm not laughing.
27:22No, no, no, I'm serious.
27:24It's okay.
27:24I didn't know that.
27:25I'm sorry.
27:26It's no laughing matter.
27:28Smuggling controlled substances is a federal crime
27:31that can result in up to five years in prison.
27:35So the fact that you hit an extra bottle in each one of these,
27:38it's double the amount.
27:39Yeah, but I didn't do none of that.
27:41The pharmacist put it up before you.
27:43And you asked them to.
27:44No, no, no.
27:45Yes, ma'am.
27:46They don't.
27:46Okay.
27:46Well, whatever you say to myself, sorry, but okay.
27:48Okay.
27:49That's your word.
27:49For free.
27:50That's your word against violence.
27:52While the woman begins to realize the trouble she's in,
27:55her daughter, who's been waiting outside,
27:58is also brought in.
28:00You have nothing under your daughter.
28:01I don't have nothing.
28:02I shouldn't even be...
28:03Because she's the one who got everything.
28:05Like, I shouldn't be...
28:06Because you were traveling together?
28:07Well, yeah, but that's my mother.
28:09Like, you know what I mean?
28:09I freed her care to have a son,
28:11and I didn't even think she would do...
28:12You know what I mean?
28:13I understand.
28:14I understand.
28:14I understand.
28:14I understand.
28:16I understand.
28:17I'm very upset right now.
28:18Let me see what the supervisor wants to do, okay?
28:20No.
28:21Get her saying this to his mom.
28:23But when you want to stop me getting hurt,
28:24because you won't like this to them,
28:26but they're saying that.
28:26Well, I know.
28:27I know.
28:29Officer Terrio consults with her supervisor
28:31to decide whether to press criminal charges
28:34against the mother.
28:35Okay.
28:36Take it.
28:38Due to the amount of pills,
28:40if found guilty,
28:41the woman could face fines of thousands of dollars,
28:45or even jail.
28:48This is a narcotic.
28:49It's the same thing as heroin.
28:51It's an opioid.
28:52Okay?
28:52That's why we take it this seriously.
28:54Yes, ma'am.
28:54Right?
28:54This isn't just Tylenol.
28:56So you're going to bring it back to Mexico?
28:58No.
28:58Or you're going to dispose of that pathway up the bridge?
29:00No.
29:01No.
29:01No.
29:03Because it's the mom's first offense,
29:06officers decide to let her off with a warning.
29:09I really apologize, ma'am, for this, like,
29:12lesson learned, right?
29:13Yeah.
29:14Lesson learned.
29:16Before they're allowed to head home,
29:18Officer Terrio sends the pair back
29:20to the Mexican side of the bridge
29:22to dispose of the medication.
29:23If the woman is caught again,
29:26she can expect to face criminal charges.
29:46The smuggling of narcotics across the U.S. border
29:49is a relentless game of cat and mouse.
29:53Cartels use increasingly deceptive methods
29:56to conceal their drugs,
29:57while CBP officers fight to stay one step ahead.
30:02Hi, how's it going?
30:05Tonight, in Eagle Pass,
30:07a couple has been stopped for inspection.
30:12I saw a box with containers in the cargo area.
30:15It seems like it's about 24 containers of some type of shake,
30:20powdered shake.
30:21For car attention, the containers in the back on the label
30:25has an FDA-approved product,
30:28which, after further review,
30:29it seems like it's a fake or a bogus FDA stamp.
30:33The counterfeit labels are a red flag for officer purchase,
30:37because cartels have previously used canisters of protein shakes
30:42to smuggle drugs into the U.S.
30:45And where did they come from?
30:47Where did they come from?
30:48From Nava to Gilepas.
30:51And what are these?
30:51This is a natural product.
30:53Natural.
30:53It's a milk sugar.
30:57It's mixed with water.
30:59It's to control some diseases.
31:01OK, OK.
31:03The driver, he said it was some type of a diet supplement
31:07they take for elements like diabetes,
31:10high blood pressure, and all that.
31:11We're going to take it inside to test the powder
31:13just to check to see if it comes back to any type of narcotics.
31:20Officer Han Villere will carry out the test.
31:28Typically, the criminal gangs use powdered drinks
31:31to disguise drugs like cocaine or methamphetamine.
31:38If this product turns out to contain one of these narcotics,
31:42the couple could face up to 20 years in prison.
32:02The Juarez-Lincoln Bridge connects the city of Laredo, Texas,
32:07to the north and the Mexican city of Nuevo Laredo in the south.
32:24I was a little kid when I moved here, so I pretty much grew up in Laredo.
32:28It does help living here.
32:30It helps because you actually know the culture.
32:32You know the people.
32:34Things out of the ordinary will stick out.
32:36Sometimes people will tell you a story they're coming to do here,
32:38and they really plan it out.
32:40When the story doesn't make sense, it's going to stand out.
32:45One trend officers here repeatedly encounter
32:48is the high level of gun ownership.
32:51Texas has the highest number of registered firearms in the United States,
32:56with over a third of Texans owning at least one gun.
33:00Where are you headed to today?
33:02No firearms, tobacco, drugs, ammunition?
33:06No.
33:09In the inbound lanes,
33:11officers have detained a 41-year-old U.S. citizen
33:15after he declared a handgun at primary inspection.
33:29It's empty.
33:30No bullets in the rounds,
33:31and all the extra mags are here with the bullets.
33:35The subject went to Mexico.
33:37He decided to come back.
33:38When he came back, that's when he told the officer he declared it.
33:41He forgot he had it.
33:44Gun laws in Mexico are notoriously strict,
33:47and the man claims he returned home as soon as he realized he was carrying one.
33:53However, he is now re-entering the U.S. without the proper paperwork for a firearm,
33:59a crime punishable by up to 10 years in prison.
34:04A lot of U.S. citizens, they go to Mexico and they bring firearms, rifles,
34:07but they have the paperwork for it.
34:09And all we do is we run it through our database,
34:11and compared to right now where he said that he forgot the weapon,
34:14and then, you know, we got to go through our process.
34:17So here we just get the serial number, write it down.
34:21If it's stolen, we have to find the record owner.
34:24Officer Saucedo runs the serial number through the CBP database
34:28to find out who it's registered to
34:31and whether it's been linked to any criminal activity.
34:34It will be the serial number there.
34:41But the result is not as expected.
34:44We didn't actually get anything back to our databases.
34:47That's odd.
34:47We would usually find the registered owner,
34:50and investigate him a little bit more,
34:52like, talk to him more, like, as far as, like,
34:53where did he get the weapon from?
34:54Where did he buy it from?
34:55Or who is it?
34:56Who does it actually belong to?
34:59With no records on file,
35:01Officer Saucedo needs to find out
35:03if the man has obtained his weapon illegally.
35:06Where did you buy it?
35:08Texas.
35:09And you gave him, like, your ID,
35:11you gave him everything, you did all the paperwork,
35:12you did all that stuff?
35:13Oh, yeah.
35:14The whole thing?
35:16Yeah.
35:17The man is adamant he purchased the gun
35:20through the proper channels.
35:22Spoke to the HSI agent at the firearms division.
35:25He's looking more into it,
35:27and then he's gonna advise me as far as, like,
35:29where we're gonna go with the case.
35:31If his counterpart in Homeland Security investigations
35:34finds the gun was obtained illegally,
35:37the man could face further charges.
35:51In Eagle Pass,
35:5524 cartons of an unknown powder with an unusual label
36:00have raised suspicions for officers.
36:02With car attention, it seems like it's a fake
36:05or a bogus FDA stamp there.
36:08Cartels are known to smuggle narcotics
36:11inside food products.
36:12So officers must determine
36:14what they're dealing with.
36:1724, when they come in on a label like this,
36:20and it'll be narcotics.
36:22So right now we're running it to Gemini.
36:27A chemical analyzer is used to test the powder.
36:35If it turns out to be methamphetamine or cocaine,
36:39the couple could face up to 20 years in prison.
36:48Digitonin is a chemical used in the manufacturing
36:58of some health supplements.
37:00We checked it out.
37:02Everything was negative.
37:03But the product is not approved by FDA.
37:06The label is not the label that belongs to that container.
37:10Since the label appears to be fake,
37:12the supplements are not approved in the U.S.
37:16and therefore could be harmful.
37:42They're allowed to keep their supplements this time,
37:45but the couple is refused entry and sent back to Mexico.
37:50We have to send them back
37:51because what if somebody actually drinks it,
37:53consumes it, and gets sick?
37:55So we're trying to control that
37:56or keep the people safe in the United States
37:58from those products.
38:15In Laredo...
38:18It's empty.
38:19No bullets in the rounds,
38:20and all the extra marks are here with the bullets.
38:23Officers Saucedo and his team
38:25have apprehended a U.S. citizen returning from Mexico
38:29with a handgun in his glove compartment.
38:32The subject went to Mexico.
38:33He said that he forgot the weapon.
38:36Although he declared the handgun on arrival,
38:38he didn't have any paperwork,
38:40and background checks on the serial number
38:42have come back blank,
38:44suggesting the gun isn't legally registered.
38:47If so, the man could be arrested on weapons charges.
38:51Hello, sir. This is India 5171 calling from Laredo, Texas.
38:55Officer Saucedo contacts Homeland Security Investigations
38:59to see if they are able to obtain
39:01any further details about the weapon.
39:03We ran the serial number, but nothing comes back.
39:06We can't find the registered owner.
39:10That's going to be good to go.
39:11Okay, sir.
39:12Sounds good, sir.
39:13I appreciate it. Thank you, sir.
39:15Homeland Security Investigations
39:17has access to enhanced criminal databases
39:21and confirms that the gun legally belongs to the driver.
39:25So the outcome was they went through their databases.
39:27They were good with it.
39:28You know, it was an honest mistake,
39:30but it was a costly mistake in a sense of, like, for his time.
39:33As of right now, he's going to be good to go.
39:34We're just going to advise him for the next time
39:36to be careful what he's taking and what he's bringing back.
39:39You can put your boots on, boss.
39:41Your belt right now.
39:42Here's your hat, too.
39:44Yeah, I want to take off the handcuffs right now.
39:46Satisfied that taking his gun to Mexico was an honest mistake,
39:50officers used their discretion and let him off with a warning.
39:55Go straight out the door.
39:57I'll explain to you everything that's going to happen right now.
40:01The man's escorted with his gun back to his car.
40:05You have to just be careful as far as when you're taking the firearm.
40:07I understand that it's your personal firearm.
40:09It's just something that you have to be careful.
40:10I understand.
40:12It was more dangerous than to catch your gun.
40:14Yeah, honestly, yes, it is.
40:15It's more costly for you to get caught over there in Mexico
40:17because you actually go to jail for that.
40:18All right.
40:20So here's your keys.
40:22It's his lucky day.
40:24Had he been caught in Mexico with the gun and no paperwork,
40:29penalties there are even more severe.
40:32Base case scenario for him was that we found it here.
40:35In Mexico, it can go a lot of ways.
40:37They can take him to jail.
40:39Whatever happens in Mexico, it can happen bad.
40:42Good to go, DTR.
41:01Never Hopes.
41:04Or is there?
41:29You just know.
41:30Wait for the serial killer.
41:58Transcription by CastingWords
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