- 8 hours ago
Borderforce USA Season 7 Episode 8
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Short filmTranscript
00:07Every year, over 200,000 tons of drugs are seized at the U.S.-Mexico border.
00:14The sheer number of travelers we get, we have to always be vigilant.
00:21Cartels rely on a network of couriers to smuggle in their narcotics.
00:30Today, at the Eagle Pass International Bridge...
00:34Bravo 18, Bravo 18, Tango Hotel, Lane 3.
00:39Officers have received a tip-off that a driver returning from Mexico
00:43may be smuggling cartel drugs in her vehicle.
00:47This vehicle was referred for an enforcement inspection.
00:50She was nervous. She was avoiding eye contact.
00:56The car is sent to the Z portal for x-ray.
01:02I notice anomalies on the floor and under the seat on the passenger side.
01:07And also, I can see some dense areas under the driver.
01:13Usually, it should be able to see through.
01:16It's throughout the floor, on both sides.
01:19Officer Guzman suspects the dark shadows could be hidden contraband.
01:24Right now, this subject is going to be detained.
01:27I'm just going to be placing a cell.
01:30We're going to tear the vehicle apart to find out what it is.
01:33If drugs are found, she could be facing a long stretch behind bars.
01:38Let's go.
01:38I'm just going to keep going.
01:43I'm just going to keep going.
01:46Free, 9 seconds ready.
01:48We found something.
01:49Mic, mic…
01:50Get started?
01:51Get started.
01:52Are we going to be taking a comm?
01:53We have to do what we have to do.
02:16The Gateway International Bridge
02:19separates Brownsville, Texas
02:24from the city of Matamoros, Mexico.
02:31Each day, thousands of day-trippers cross back and forth.
02:37And everyone coming into the U.S.
02:39is checked against the National Crime Database.
02:49Today, a young man returning to the U.S.
02:53after going to Mexico for a haircut
02:54has been detained.
02:56There's a subject who has a warrant for his arrest.
03:03He was patted down by the officers.
03:06You mean he's not the normal?
03:07Okay.
03:09With the pat-down clear,
03:10he's held in an interview room.
03:18And you said you were getting a haircut in Mexico?
03:20Yes, ma'am.
03:22You stated you'd never been arrested?
03:24Never been arrested.
03:25Never, never.
03:25Never gotten in trouble with the police?
03:28I got tickets, but never been arrested.
03:30Okay.
03:30When's the last time you got a ticket that you know of?
03:32No problem.
03:34Approximately the time?
03:36Uh, I think at least more than a year.
03:38More than a year?
03:38Okay, so, yeah.
03:40Do you know with who it was,
03:41what county, what police officer that you know of?
03:44No.
03:45No?
03:45Okay.
03:46Okay.
03:48The man claims to know nothing about the warrant.
03:56Usually, when they come in, and we know they have a warrant,
04:00we usually ask them, hey, have you ever been arrested?
04:03Have you ever had trouble with police lately?
04:06Some of them say yes, others say no, or they forget.
04:11Public record information on the warrant
04:13comes through to Officer Anaya.
04:15He is wanted for evading arrest.
04:18Evading arrest is a serious crime,
04:21which can result in significant prison time.
04:24Usually, that's either they're trying to arrest you
04:27and not complying, or just try to run away,
04:29or try to hit him.
04:30Yeah, I think he's here right here, sir, please.
04:31Okay.
04:33In order to determine that his details
04:35match those on the warrant,
04:38his fingerprints are taken.
04:47If he is the wanted man, he will be taken to jail.
04:55Nothing's actually showing on the prints.
04:57Nothing came up.
04:58Nothing, nothing.
04:59With the man's fingerprints not showing up in the system,
05:02officers need to find another way to confirm if he really is the wanted man.
05:16In Eagle Pass, officers have stopped a driver returning to the U.S. from Mexico,
05:22after a tip-off revealed she may be a cartel drug courier.
05:27Let's throw out the floor, from both sides.
05:36Officers begin their search.
05:38Let's take off the center console.
05:44The trap door should be in the center console room.
05:48There you go.
05:50It's all loose, right?
05:51When drugs are concealed in hard-to-reach places,
05:55cartels have typically constructed a trap door for access.
05:59There's no one on the trap door, are you?
06:01No?
06:02Bueno, let's go ahead and take off the seats.
06:06But so far, no such door can be found.
06:10Officers begin the painstaking process of removing the seats
06:14to continue their hunt.
06:18There's a door here.
06:20Move this over.
06:28We have to find the compartment.
06:39There it is.
06:42They put a lot of work into trying to hide it.
06:44It takes a lot of ingenuity to put them in like that,
06:47especially in the floor.
06:49With loads this big, cartels often hide a tracker
06:53to keep tabs on their couriers and product.
07:00That way, I found the checker.
07:02It's right here.
07:03Is that right there?
07:04That's what it is.
07:05Before officers continue their search,
07:07they need to make sure no one else is listening in.
07:13This is the checker.
07:15You're usually put under the steering wheel on this area.
07:20It's the communication between the driver
07:22and whoever is sitting in the vehicle.
07:24And also, there might be mics inside.
07:26So that cuts off if they're hearing us
07:29whatever we're talking.
07:34Officer Karanko has broken the signal.
07:38The team can now resume the inspection,
07:42knowing the cartel isn't monitoring their conversations.
07:47Hey, there you go.
07:50And it's not long before another trapdoor is found.
08:01It's going to be the whole thing, open the door.
08:05Yeah, it's going to be a lot.
08:07It looks like it's going to be the entire floor
08:09from both sides.
08:11For the officers, this could be a major seizure.
08:27Here we go.
08:28At the Gateway International Bridge,
08:30a young man returning from getting a haircut in Mexico
08:33has been detained.
08:34You stated you've never been arrested.
08:37Despite his denials, he's wanted for evading arrest.
08:41Nothing's actually showing on the prints.
08:43Nothing came up.
08:44Nothing else.
08:46But right now, his fingerprints
08:48don't match anyone on file.
08:50The subject is still wanted.
08:52It doesn't mean the warrant is not there.
08:54Sometimes they don't get fingerprinted.
08:56To confirm whether or not he is the wanted man.
09:00I think showing up against the prints.
09:01We can't verify the prints?
09:03Call us a second.
09:03They can tell us a mugshot.
09:05Yeah, let me verify his social.
09:08Officer Anaya needs to dig deeper into his background.
09:13Now you can zoom in there.
09:16As well as confirming his social security details,
09:18he reveals he's a semi-professional boxer with an upcoming fight.
09:22He said he has a fight pro-boxing.
09:26That's his fight.
09:28And this is him right here.
09:33He may be known in the ring,
09:35but Officer Anaya still needs to confirm his ID.
09:40I'm going to call Sector,
09:41see if they have a photo of the subject,
09:43just to verify if it's a match.
09:50Yes, I was calling because we have a wanted person here.
09:56I already fingerprinted him, but nothing came up.
10:00Local law enforcement in Brownsville
10:02runs his details through their system.
10:05Thank you so much.
10:08It was a match for the name and the date of birth.
10:12So it was a match.
10:15The man will be picked up by local police.
10:19So when are you fighting?
10:21Saturday.
10:21Saturday.
10:22Okay.
10:24Despite facing criminal charges,
10:26the man is more worried
10:28that he may miss his fight in two days.
10:32I know as a boxer,
10:34you do have to train every day.
10:35He will have to be training for that fight on Saturday.
10:40It's looking unlikely he'll be on the ticket.
10:54He's being taken to the Brownsville precinct,
10:56where he'll finally learn more about his alleged crime.
11:00You are going to go to the county
11:01that's looking for you,
11:03that you're wanted from.
11:06I wouldn't know when he would be seeing the judge,
11:09maybe a couple of days.
11:10I don't know if he's going to be able to get out
11:12for that fight Saturday.
11:14The man may have been unaware of his warrant,
11:16but since he is the wanted man,
11:18he will now have to face his charge.
11:21If you ever got into trouble,
11:23ever been arrested,
11:24ever had any warrants,
11:26and you're planning to cross to the U.S.,
11:28don't be surprised if you get stopped by us.
11:39Right here, we have a line.
11:42In Eagle Pass,
11:46officers have found suspected narcotics
11:48hidden in the floor of a vehicle.
11:51Looks like it's going to be the entire floor
11:53from both sides.
11:58The lone driver is detained
11:59while officers strip down the car
12:02to gain access to the drugs.
12:11All right, I guess now we can
12:13try this one fire up.
12:16And even more packages are found.
12:19It never gets old.
12:21It's just as exciting as the first one.
12:25Love what you do.
12:31Almost every inch of the car's floor
12:33has been used to conceal narcotics.
12:37Could be close.
12:38We're not sure.
12:39But it's unclear what type.
12:42We've got to get everything out
12:43to the seizure room
12:45so we can test it
12:46to see what we're dealing with.
12:48And we'll take him back.
13:10We counted 74 packages in total.
13:13So at this point,
13:14since we don't know what it is,
13:16we're going to have to test it
13:18and just verify
13:19what kind of drug they are.
13:27The load is taken
13:28to the seizure room for testing.
13:31Delivery.
13:33All right, moment of truth.
13:50The laser detector can penetrate
13:52the layers of packaging
13:54and identify the type of drug.
14:00Methamphetamine.
14:02It came positive for methamphetamine.
14:04Our first packet.
14:07Methamphetamine is a highly addictive drug
14:09that caused an estimated 30,000 deaths
14:12in the U.S. in 2024.
14:16But it's one of the most profitable
14:18for cartels
14:19because it could be manufactured cheaply
14:21from easily sourced chemical ingredients.
14:24If I had to take a wild guess
14:26on why the narcotics come from Mexico,
14:29I would say price.
14:32I guess you can get the chemicals
14:33for easier in Mexico, right?
14:39It takes three officers two hours
14:42to examine all the drugs.
14:44Each packet is full of crystals.
14:49And every one test positive
14:51for methamphetamine.
14:53We're going to take all of the packages
14:55and the boxes
14:56and the boxes
14:57to bridge two
14:58so we can have them weighed.
15:01The drugs are taken
15:02to the nearby Camino Real Bridge
15:04to be weighed on a commercial scale.
15:11Every time we have to use this scale,
15:14it means we did good.
15:20162 pounds,
15:21and if we translate that into kilograms,
15:23it's 73.40 keys of crystal meth.
15:27Today's bust has taken drugs
15:29with a street value
15:30of $3.3 million
15:32out of the hands of dealers.
15:34We do this job because we care.
15:36We save lives
15:37whenever we catch drugs.
15:40Whenever we take it off the streets,
15:41it gives us a sense of self-accomplishment.
16:10Every year, CBP officers
16:12apprehend 2.5 million people
16:15attempting to cross illegally
16:17from Mexico to the U.S.
16:20A lot of drug trafficking,
16:22weapon smuggling,
16:23narcotics,
16:24human smuggling.
16:25Many are youngsters
16:27whose parents are already
16:29in America illegally.
16:30They pay people smugglers
16:32to escort their children
16:33safely across the border,
16:35often pretending
16:37to be a close relative.
16:38It happens a lot.
16:40It happens more often
16:41than you would think.
16:44Today,
16:45at the Juarez-Lincoln Bridge,
16:47three children heading to Texas
16:49with their grandmother
16:50have been stopped
16:51after their story
16:52raised concerns.
16:53The three girls
16:54have American birth certificates,
16:57but no picture IDs.
16:58They're traveling
16:59with their supposed grandmother.
17:01So I'm going to interview
17:01all four of them
17:02and we'll see
17:03what their story is,
17:04how they know each other,
17:05that they're not trying
17:06to come in under a different name
17:08and trying to come
17:09into the country illegally.
17:11Officer Covarrubias
17:12is concerned
17:13the girls aren't really
17:15the woman's grandchildren
17:16and the birth certificates
17:18aren't theirs.
17:20Anybody can claim
17:21that I'm this person,
17:22this is my birth certificate,
17:23let me in,
17:24but at the end of the day,
17:25they have to be able
17:26to prove that
17:27that's really who they are.
17:29Hola, buenas tardes.
17:31Es la primera vez
17:32que cruzan ustedes.
17:33Tú también.
17:34Sí.
17:35Tú también.
17:36¿Usted tiene permiso
17:37de la mamá o papá?
17:39De la mamá.
17:40Ok.
17:41Este.
17:42Ándale.
17:44¿Y tu mamá
17:45dónde está ahorita?
17:46En México.
17:48¿Ella puede cruzar?
17:49No.
17:49¿Ella no tiene visa?
17:50No.
17:51Ok.
17:52¿Usted sí?
17:53Yo tengo visa.
17:54Sí, claro.
17:56¿Para dónde van ustedes?
17:57Para Texas.
17:59Para Texas.
18:00¿Dónde me van?
18:03Mejía.
18:04Mejía?
18:05Sí.
18:06¿Dónde se encuentra eso?
18:09¿Cómo que no saben?
18:11¿No saben dónde van a ir?
18:12Se llama Mejía en Texas.
18:14The grandmother
18:15has a visa
18:16to visit the U.S.
18:17and says
18:18she's taking the girls
18:19to a city in Texas
18:20to see their father.
18:22He used to live in Mexico
18:23but moved back
18:24to the U.S.
18:26¿Qué?
18:26¿Cuánto tiempo?
18:27Y...
18:28No, nomás un mes.
18:30Ok.
18:3115 días y un mes.
18:32¿So cómo?
18:35¿Ustedes ni saben
18:36cuánto tiempo
18:37se van a quedar aquí?
18:38No, yo sí.
18:39Uno dice 15 días
18:40y otro dice un mes.
18:41¿Pues cómo?
18:42No, nomás nos vamos
18:42hasta como 15 días.
18:44Y luego de allí
18:45vamos para que migren
18:46a su papá
18:46y ya los regresamos.
18:50Bueno, los voy a traer
18:51para adentro, ¿ok?
18:52Los voy a ir a entrevistar.
18:54Mi tote.
18:55¿Cómo?
18:55¿Qué tanto?
18:57¿Qué tanto qué?
18:58Mi tote.
19:00Ok, señora, mira.
19:01Estos son los documentos
19:02que me presentaste.
19:03¿Ellos tienen fotos?
19:05¿No?
19:06Pues yo no sé
19:07si estos son
19:08lo que salen
19:09en los documentos.
19:10¿Tienen ID?
19:11No.
19:13Yo tengo que hacer
19:14mi trabajo
19:14para asegurar
19:15que estos son ellos.
19:16¿Ok?
19:17Si tienes problemas
19:17con eso,
19:18te puedo regresar a México
19:19y ahí se acaba.
19:21¿So qué vas a hacer?
19:42El Windsor-Detroit
19:44Crossing
19:44es el busiest
19:45internacional
19:46border
19:46en Norte
19:47América.
19:47¿Buenos,
19:48señor?
19:48¿Cómo estás?
19:49¿Tú has
19:49any fruits
19:50y vegetables
19:50con usted
19:51con usted?
19:5316 millones
19:54de vehículos
19:54pass
19:55a través
19:55cada año.
19:56¿Ele
19:56para el
19:57para?
19:59CBP
19:59officers
20:00están siempre
20:01en alerta
20:01por algo
20:02que se
20:02se
20:02se
20:03se
20:03se
20:03se
20:03se
20:03se
20:03se
20:03se
20:03se
20:03se
20:03se
20:03se
20:04fresh
20:05fruits
20:05vegetables
20:06That
20:07includes
20:07natural
20:08items.
20:10No fruits
20:11or vegetables
20:11like
20:11chips
20:12and stuff.
20:13But
20:14some
20:14are
20:14prohibited
20:15because
20:16they
20:16carry
20:16a
20:17serious
20:17risk
20:17to
20:18American
20:18agriculture
20:19and
20:19wildlife.
20:21Finding
20:21any
20:22insects
20:22that
20:23can
20:23be
20:23harmful
20:23to
20:23United
20:24States
20:24agriculture
20:24is
20:25as
20:25important
20:26as
20:26finding
20:27drugs
20:27and
20:27any
20:27shipment
20:28coming
20:28in.
20:30Today
20:31at
20:31the
20:31Ambassador
20:31Bridge
20:32a
20:33car
20:33returning
20:34to the
20:34U.S.
20:34from
20:34Canada
20:36has
20:37been
20:37sent
20:37for
20:38inspection.
20:40The
20:41driver
20:41who's
20:41traveling
20:42with his
20:42family
20:43declared
20:43that he
20:44has
20:44no
20:44fresh
20:44produce.
20:45But
20:46since
20:46their
20:46car
20:47is
20:47loaded
20:47with
20:47groceries
20:49Officer
20:49Castillo
20:50wants
20:50to take
20:51a
20:51closer
20:51look.
20:52We
20:52try
20:52to
20:52see
20:52if
20:52they
20:52bring
20:53in
20:53anything
20:54prohibited.
20:55Yeah
20:55they
20:55just
20:55said
20:56no
20:56fruits
20:56vegetables
20:57just
20:57rice.
21:01All
21:01the
21:01bags
21:02need
21:02to
21:02be
21:02checked.
21:04If
21:04any
21:04prohibited
21:05items
21:05are
21:05found
21:06the
21:07family
21:07could
21:07be
21:07in
21:08line
21:08for
21:08a
21:08hefty
21:09fine.
21:09All
21:09this
21:10stuff
21:10that
21:10we
21:10don't
21:10really
21:11look
21:11at.
21:14They
21:15declared
21:15rice
21:15so I
21:16found
21:16the
21:16rice.
21:17This
21:17looks
21:18like
21:18it's
21:18balsamati
21:19rice.
21:20The
21:21rice
21:21is
21:21classified
21:22as a
21:22dry
21:23good
21:23so
21:23it's
21:24allowed
21:24to
21:24be
21:24brought
21:24in.
21:25But
21:26fresh
21:26fruits
21:27are
21:27restricted
21:27to
21:28only
21:28certain
21:28ones
21:29grown
21:29in
21:29Canada.
21:30And
21:31yeah,
21:32I'm seeing
21:32that they
21:32do have
21:34some
21:36mangoes.
21:37These don't
21:37have a country
21:38of origin,
21:38but either
21:39way, mangoes
21:40from anywhere,
21:41they're prohibited.
21:42So some fruits
21:43and vegetables
21:44do carry
21:44diseases.
21:45Mangoes are
21:46sort of like
21:47avocados because
21:48of the pit
21:49inside.
21:49You can replant
21:50the pit and then
21:51you can grow
21:51more.
21:53We don't want
21:54it in because
21:54we can't
21:55control it.
21:57mangoes can
21:57harbor fruit
21:58flies, which
21:59pose a
22:00significant threat
22:00to U.S.
22:01farmers because
22:02they can
22:03destroy entire
22:04crops.
22:06Oranges,
22:07we regulate
22:08them.
22:08They don't have
22:09a country of
22:09origin, so
22:10we're going to
22:10be taking
22:11them again.
22:14Pears,
22:16these say
22:16Argentina.
22:18They didn't
22:19declare any
22:19of this stuff
22:20either.
22:21The man's
22:21claim to not
22:22be carrying
22:22any fresh
22:23produce is
22:24already
22:25unraveling.
22:26for transporting
22:27potentially
22:27hazardous goods,
22:28the driver
22:29could be
22:30facing a
22:30serious fine.
22:40At the
22:41Juarez-Lincoln
22:42Bridge,
22:43a woman
22:44traveling with
22:44three girls
22:45she claims
22:46are her
22:46granddaughters
22:47is being
22:47questioned.
22:58The woman
22:59has presented
23:00U.S.
23:01birth certificates
23:02for all three
23:02girls, but
23:04with no
23:04photo ID to
23:05prove who
23:05they actually
23:06are, Officer
23:07Covarubias needs
23:09to be sure
23:10she's not
23:10trafficking them.
23:12And who are
23:12these young
23:13women?
23:13Who are they
23:13traveling with?
23:14Why are they
23:15together?
23:16How do they know
23:17each other?
23:19We have all
23:19these past
23:20cases where
23:21somebody gets
23:22greedy and
23:22they want
23:23to smuggle
23:23people in
23:24and say,
23:25hey, this
23:25is my
23:25daughter,
23:25when it's
23:26not their
23:26daughter.
23:27And this
23:27is her birth
23:27certificate,
23:28but it's
23:29not them.
23:31Traffickers
23:32can be paid
23:32thousands of
23:33dollars to get
23:34a single
23:34child across
23:35the border
23:35to be reunited
23:36with family.
23:38Officer
23:39Covarubias
23:40needs to make
23:41sure these
23:41girls are
23:42who they say
23:43they are.
23:50To prove
23:51they are all
23:52related,
23:52he needs
23:53to see
23:53photographs
23:54of all
23:55of the
23:55family
23:55together.
23:56But neither
23:57the sisters
23:58nor their
23:58grandmother
23:59have any
24:00on their
24:00person
24:01or on
24:02their
24:02phones.
24:14I have to
24:15know
24:15that you
24:15know,
24:16they are
24:16sisters.
24:18Yes?
24:19Well,
24:19go ahead.
24:22Do you
24:22photos with
24:23you and
24:23your grandmother?
24:24No.
24:25No?
24:27Do you
24:27like
24:27taking
24:28photos?
24:28Yes,
24:29no.
24:30Why not?
24:32How many
24:33do you
24:34look at?
24:35Diary.
24:36Diary?
24:36Yes.
24:37Every day?
24:38Yes.
24:38Okay.
24:39never
24:41happy
24:43Christmas
24:44with them?
24:45Did you
24:46take photos
24:46with the
24:47family?
24:47Yes.
24:48Yes.
24:48I don't like
24:49that.
24:49Why?
24:51Do you
24:52like that?
24:53No.
24:54Okay.
24:55With the
24:55girls and
24:56their alleged
24:56grandmother
24:57unable to
24:58prove that
24:58they are
24:58related,
25:00Officer
25:00Covarrubias
25:01decides to
25:02call the
25:02girl's
25:03mother to
25:03help
25:04establish
25:04the
25:04facts.
25:30At the
25:31Canadian
25:31border,
25:32a family
25:33has been
25:33caught bringing
25:34in undeclared
25:35fresh fruit
25:35into the
25:36U.S.
25:37They're
25:38prohibited.
25:39Since
25:40crossing the
25:40border with
25:41undeclared
25:41agriculture can
25:42have a
25:43devastating
25:43impact on
25:44U.S.
25:45crops,
25:45they didn't
25:46declare any
25:46of this
25:47stuff.
25:47The family
25:48could be
25:48in line
25:49for a
25:49penalty.
25:50You had
25:51some fresh
25:52fruits and
25:52vegetables in
25:53your vehicle,
25:53had some
25:54mangoes,
25:55some oranges,
25:55you had
25:55quite a few
25:56of your
25:56meals.
25:59We
25:59technically
26:00asked both
26:01of you if
26:01you had any
26:02fresh fruits and
26:02vegetables and
26:03because you
26:04said you
26:04didn't have
26:05any and
26:06we found
26:06some.
26:07but you
26:08do have
26:08fruit.
26:09The fruits
26:10that you
26:10do have,
26:11some of
26:11them are
26:12prohibited.
26:13When you
26:13failed to
26:13declare it,
26:14we're going
26:14to have
26:14to give
26:15you a
26:15penalty
26:15of $300.
26:17How much?
26:18$300.
26:23$300?
26:25We did
26:26ask both
26:26of you
26:27guys and
26:27you both
26:28said no.
26:28Facebook
26:29has fruit.
26:30Well,
26:31you did
26:31have fruit.
26:33So we're
26:34going to be
26:34actually done
26:35arguing.
26:35You did
26:36cross an
26:36international
26:36border.
26:38Everything in
26:39that car
26:39belongs to
26:40you.
26:40You're
26:40supposed to
26:41know what's
26:41inside.
26:42The officers
26:42did ask
26:43if you
26:43had it.
26:44Both of
26:45you,
26:46not once
26:46but twice,
26:47said no.
26:48Now we
26:48found the
26:49stuff, so
26:50now a
26:50civil penalty
26:51is going
26:51to be
26:51issued.
26:52Do you
26:52have enough
26:53to cover
26:53the $300
26:54today?
27:00Just,
27:01yeah,
27:01I'm going
27:01to do
27:02some
27:02paperwork.
27:02I'll
27:02come back
27:03for you.
27:07We did
27:08specifically
27:09ask them
27:09what they
27:10had.
27:12The
27:12couple
27:13has issued
27:13a $300
27:14penalty.
27:15Although
27:16this family
27:17has never
27:17been caught
27:18with undeclared
27:18produce before,
27:20next time
27:21they're unlikely
27:21to make
27:22this mistake.
27:23You're
27:24coming
27:24from one
27:25country
27:25to the
27:25other.
27:26I always
27:26think you
27:27would know
27:27what you
27:27pack.
27:32The driver
27:33pays the
27:33fine,
27:34and the
27:34family will
27:35be allowed
27:35to enter
27:36the U.S.,
27:37but it's
27:37been a
27:38costly
27:38lesson.
27:40They're
27:40all usually
27:41pretty upset
27:41about paying
27:42$300 for
27:43some mangoes
27:44and oranges,
27:45but,
27:46I mean,
27:46at the end
27:47of the day,
27:47he did
27:47make a
27:48mistake.
27:48He did
27:49have to
27:50pay for
27:50it.
28:06At the
28:07Juarez-Lincoln
28:07Bridge,
28:08officers suspect
28:09three miners
28:10could be in
28:11the process
28:11of being
28:11trafficked
28:12into the U.S.
28:13office.
28:18Unable
28:19to prove
28:19the girls
28:19are related
28:20and that
28:21this is
28:21their
28:21grandmother,
28:23Officer
28:23Covarrubias
28:24has decided
28:25to call
28:25the girl's
28:26mother.
28:49The woman
28:50confirms
28:51all three
28:51of her
28:52children
28:52traveling
28:53with their
28:53grandmother.
29:09If she
29:10doesn't find
29:10and send
29:11a photo
29:11of all four,
29:12they'll be
29:13sent back
29:14to Mexico.
29:20Okay.
29:21Okay,
29:21bye.
29:22This is
29:22pretty much
29:23their last
29:23chance,
29:24guys.
29:24I mean,
29:32finally,
29:33a photo
29:34was sent
29:34through
29:35which shows
29:36them all
29:36together.
29:38Okay,
29:39guys,
29:39yeah,
29:40es todo.
29:43Let's go.
29:55satisfied they are
29:56related,
29:57the family
29:58is free
29:58to travel
29:59into Texas.
30:22They were admitted
30:23as U.S.
30:23citizen.
30:25Really, really
30:26comfortable once
30:27we got the
30:27photographic
30:28evidence.
30:28It just seemed
30:29a little odd
30:29at the beginning
30:30where none
30:30of them
30:30had photos
30:31of each
30:31other.
30:32It's very
30:32strange,
30:33but we see
30:34strange things
30:34here.
30:45in the Mexican
30:46border town
30:47of Nuevo
30:47Progreso,
30:48there were
30:49over 100
30:50pharmacies
30:50in one square
30:51mile.
30:53Everybody with this?
30:54Yes, sir.
30:56With prices
30:57up to 70%
30:58cheaper than
30:59in the U.S.,
30:59it's become
31:00a magnet
31:01for medical
31:02tourism.
31:03Any medication?
31:04I've been up
31:05right now.
31:06I've been up
31:06right now.
31:07But there
31:07are strict
31:08controls
31:09on how much
31:09can be brought
31:10back to the U.S.
31:12Did they double
31:12stuff it?
31:13And officers
31:14are highly trained
31:15to spot
31:16any irregularities.
31:18We handle
31:19hundreds of
31:20bottles of
31:20medication
31:20every day,
31:21so every time
31:22we feel it,
31:24if it's
31:24different,
31:25then we know
31:25that there's
31:26something wrong
31:26with it.
31:29This afternoon,
31:30Officer Theriot
31:31has stopped
31:31a female traveler.
31:38She suspects
31:39the woman
31:39is smuggling
31:40pain medication.
31:42This lady
31:43had a bottle
31:43of Tramadol,
31:44and it just
31:45felt a little heavy,
31:46and when I opened
31:47it, I noticed
31:47that the pills
31:48were halfway
31:48up the bottle
31:49instead of typically
31:49about a quarter
31:50of the way up.
31:51I'm just thinking
31:52it was double
31:52stuffed.
31:54Anything
31:54in your pockets
31:55today, your phone,
31:56everything right
31:56up here, please.
31:58Double stuffing,
31:59or concealing
32:00extra pills
32:01in one bottle,
32:02is a well-known
32:03trick to get
32:03illicit drugs
32:04across the border.
32:09All right,
32:09yeah, there's
32:10a whole bunch
32:10in here.
32:11How many bottles
32:12are in here,
32:13two or three?
32:14No, there's only one.
32:19The medication
32:20is Tramadol,
32:21a controlled
32:22substance
32:22in the U.S.
32:23due to its
32:24addictive nature.
32:26So you've got
32:26two bottles
32:27in here, right?
32:38Who said
32:39that you could do that?
32:40But the pharmacist
32:42doesn't work
32:43over here,
32:43do they?
32:45Travelers
32:45can only bring
32:46in 50 pills
32:47at one time
32:48without a prescription.
32:49The woman
32:50has over 100.
32:52Since she didn't
32:53declare them,
32:54she could be facing
32:55a heavy penalty
32:56or even jail time.
32:58Tramadol is
32:59an orthotic.
33:00It's an opioid
33:00pain medication.
33:01So this is the same
33:02thing as if you
33:02were to have heroin.
33:04So this is
33:05transportation
33:05of a controlled
33:06substance.
33:07You're a drug smothering.
33:12Have you done
33:13this before?
33:17Have you been
33:18in trouble
33:18with us before?
33:19Yes, ma'am.
33:19What for?
33:25And you didn't
33:26learn from that?
33:27You didn't learn
33:27from that?
33:28No, I didn't have it.
33:29Let me talk
33:29to my supervisor
33:30and see what he
33:30wants to do.
33:31Okay?
33:36Somebody's been
33:36told the laws
33:37before.
33:38They've had
33:38the seizures
33:39with us before.
33:40We've taken
33:41payment for a penalty
33:42for them before.
33:42They already know
33:43what the regulation is.
33:44They already know
33:44what the laws are.
33:45And she's still
33:46trying to circumvent them.
33:48Have a seat on the bench.
33:51I'm going to
33:52hand-puff you
33:52for officer safety.
33:53Okay?
33:53Okay?
33:59To help
34:00determine her punishment,
34:02Officer Pena
34:03wants to find out
34:04more about
34:04the woman's
34:05intentions.
34:07Have you ever
34:07smuggled medicine
34:08before?
34:10Yes.
34:10Two years ago
34:11but it wasn't me.
34:12It was my niece.
34:14But you were the one
34:14that was charged with it.
34:15Yeah.
34:16I was with her.
34:17Okay, you don't
34:17learn your lesson, ma'am.
34:19They only give you
34:20one chance.
34:20So you might
34:21go to jail today.
34:39At the southern border,
34:41wait times to cross
34:42into the U.S.
34:43can be long.
34:44Do you have a fast card?
34:45But a small percentage
34:47of travelers
34:47can enter more quickly
34:48if they are fast pass holders.
34:51This allows them
34:52to use the sentry lane
34:53where lines
34:54are significantly reduced.
34:55They can use
34:56that dedicated lane.
34:58they can cross to Mexico
34:59and come back
35:00in a matter of minutes
35:01versus the regular traffic
35:04which can sometimes
35:04be like three
35:05or four hours long.
35:07But qualifying
35:08for this status
35:09is a difficult process
35:10and only those
35:12who have gone through
35:12rigorous checks
35:13are granted access.
35:15Gracias.
35:20This morning,
35:22a car entering
35:23from Mexico
35:23using the sentry lane
35:25has been sent
35:26for inspection.
35:27You're going to park it
35:28over there
35:29in the first one
35:30to your right, okay?
35:33Checks reveal
35:34the vehicle
35:35hasn't been registered
35:36to the driver's
35:37fast pass card.
35:39He says
35:40he's borrowing
35:41his dad's car
35:42while his own
35:44is being repaired.
35:45My dad has sentry
35:47on his other vehicle
35:48and I was reading online
35:49that you can add
35:52so I added
35:53the vehicle today.
35:55Yeah, but you still
35:56have to wait
35:56until you get it approved.
35:58It's not just
35:59about adding it
35:59but it's added
36:01and they have to wait
36:02until they approve it.
36:03You can't cross
36:04that vehicle
36:04until you get it approved
36:05in the system first.
36:11If he's found
36:12with anything illegal
36:13in his car,
36:14he'll risk losing
36:15both his
36:16and his father's
36:17sentry pass.
36:18Okay, so
36:20we have a little
36:21package here
36:24and it's got
36:27what seems to be
36:29a joint
36:31or a blunt.
36:33We would have to test it
36:34to see if it'll
36:36test positive
36:38for something.
36:39Marijuana
36:40more than likely.
36:42Even if it's small,
36:44it's still not legal
36:45to bring into
36:47the country.
36:54Marijuana
36:55is illegal in Texas
36:57and crossing the U.S. border
36:59with any amount
36:59is forbidden.
37:00After putting it
37:02in the testing kit,
37:03it did test
37:03positive for cannabis.
37:06Unfortunately,
37:07it's not enough
37:08to do a seizure
37:09or a penalty.
37:10It was destroyed
37:11in testing.
37:14His sentry card,
37:15he's supposed
37:15to be a trusted traveler.
37:16So he's supposed
37:17to not have anything
37:19that's prohibited.
37:20He's held
37:20at a higher standard
37:21in other words.
37:23The young man
37:24is let off
37:24with a warning
37:25but both he
37:26and his father's
37:27fast pass
37:28will be revoked.
37:29This particular
37:30vehicle doesn't
37:31belong to him.
37:32So the owner
37:33would be deactivated
37:35because now
37:35they're lending it
37:36to somebody else
37:37who was found
37:37with narcotics.
37:39We will lift up
37:40his sentry card
37:41and he will no longer
37:43be able to travel
37:44as a trusted traveler.
37:47It could take years
37:48before their cards
37:49are reinstated.
37:52I think his dad
37:53is going to be
37:53very f***ed
37:54once he finds that out
37:55that his sentry card
37:56was revoked.
38:14So you've got two bottles
38:16in here, right?
38:17A 61-year-old woman
38:19could be facing
38:19jail time
38:20after being caught
38:21smuggling excessive
38:22amounts of pain medication.
38:27Two years ago
38:28she was fined
38:29for the same offense.
38:31You were the one
38:32that was charged with it.
38:37What do you use it for?
38:43Why did you get it
38:48in the U.S.?
38:49Because I don't have
38:49insurance.
38:50Well you can bring it in
38:51but there's only
38:52a certain amount.
38:53They only give you
38:54one chance.
38:57Ma'am,
38:58you've been in
38:58this predicament before.
39:01Last time we just
39:03finally, remember?
39:05Count 119,
39:06everyone for testing.
39:0841.373.
39:15A call is made
39:16to the state
39:17prosecutor
39:18who confirms
39:19that they will
39:20be pressing charges.
39:22Yes, ma'am?
39:26Do you have a
39:27supervisor?
39:28Yes.
39:30Am I going to go to jail?
39:32What do you like to do?
39:34Can I, please,
39:35please just,
39:36I, I,
39:37all I need from you
39:38is to relax.
39:44You guys don't hear a
39:46give them
39:47that I'm going to lose
39:49everything again,
39:50I'm going to be out
39:51on the streets.
39:52I'm not the one
39:52that you bring the
39:53No, but you guys
39:54don't care.
39:56You guys don't care
39:57about anybody.
40:03A local law enforcement
40:05officer arrives
40:06to take the woman
40:07into custody.
40:09You all right?
40:10No, I'm scared.
40:11And if I go to jail,
40:12I'm going to get fired
40:13from my job.
40:15If you, you go to jail,
40:16they fire you.
40:17And I've been working
40:19there for seven years.
40:21Unfortunately,
40:22the subject is very upset,
40:23obviously,
40:24because of the situation.
40:28The woman is handcuffed
40:30and led away.
40:31She'll be taken
40:32to the local Hidalgo
40:33precinct.
40:34We can't be lenient
40:35just because
40:36she's having
40:37a harder time
40:38with this
40:38than other people
40:39might be.
40:41You broke the law,
40:42you broke the law,
40:43and you already knew
40:43what the consequences
40:44could be.
40:47It will now be up
40:48to state prosecutors
40:49to determine
40:50her sentence.
40:51for a few weeks.
41:03We'll be there next time.
41:03After you,
41:03we'll be there next time.
41:03What are you doing?
41:05We'll be there next time.
41:05We'll be there next time.
41:09We'll be there next time.
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