Department of Homeland Security Daily Media Update May 27, 2011:

TUCSON, Ariz. — The following is a snapshot of certain Department of Homeland Security activities along the Southwest border. This rundown provides a thumbnail of each incident and an invitation to contact us for more information.

Joint Field Command Statistics – Yesterday in Arizona
(Narcotics weights are measured in pounds)

Marijuana seized                   3,683
Individuals presented in federal court for prosecution* 103
Individuals prosecuted under Operation Streamline* 76
Individuals prosecuted on federal drug charges* 2

*These numbers only represent those apprehended by Border Patrol and presented for prosecution.

• On May 26, a 19-year-old U.S. citizen female and an 11-year-old U.S. citizen attempted to enter the United States through a Douglas Port vehicle lane and were referred for a secondary inspection. Further inspection of the vehicle led to the discovery of 168 packages of marijuana weighing more than 442 pounds with an estimated value of $221,000. The driver was taken into custody and turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations for further investigation. The minor child was turned over to the custody of her parents.

• On May 27, the Alliance to Combat Transnational Threats (ACTT) announced the conclusion of a 13-day operation in the Coronado National Forest near Nogales that resulted in 95 arrests and the seizure of more than 680 pounds of narcotics with an estimated value of more than $471,500.

• On May 27, the Alliance to Combat Transnational Threats (ACTT) announced the conclusion of an operation in the Silver Bell Mountains of Arizona that resulted in the seizure of more than 8,900 pounds of marijuana and 17 weapons. The marijuana had an estimated street value $4.4 million.

• On May 26, an Ajo Border Patrol agent operating thermal imaging surveillance technology discovered a group of people carrying large backpacks near Twin Peaks Mountain. Agents on the ground responded and arrested 10 subjects with assistance from a CBP helicopter. Subsequently, 38 bundles of marijuana weighing approximately 1,691 pounds, with an estimated value $845,500, were seized. The subjects are being held pending prosecution and the narcotics will be turned over to the Drug Enforcement Administration.

In February, CBP announced the Arizona  Joint Field Command (JFC)—an organizational realignment that brings together Border Patrol, Air and Marine, and Field Operations under a unified command structure to integrate CBP’s border security, commercial enforcement, and trade facilitation missions to more effectively meet the unique challenges faced in the Arizona area of operations.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) promotes homeland security and public safety through the criminal and civil enforcement of federal laws governing border control, customs, trade, and immigration. ICE and CBP collaborate in investigations regarding criminal organizations with a nexus to the border.

Since launching the Southwest Border Initiative in March 2009, the Obama administration has engaged in an unprecedented effort to bring focus and intensity to Southwest border security, coupled with a reinvigorated, smart and effective approach to enforcing immigration laws in the interior of our country.

– DHS –

This entry was posted on Friday, May 27th, 2011 at 5:52 pm and is filed under border issues, customs and border protection, drug smuggling, politics. Tags for this post: arizona ports of entry, border issues, border security, CBP, customs and border protecti0on, drug smuggling. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.