Washington, DC. — National Guard support of CBP Border Patrol continues to have a positive impact on border security efforts on the southwest border. CBP Border Patrol credits the National Guard with the seizure of nearly 80,000 pounds of Marijuana and over 2,000 pounds of cocaine since the operation began last June.
In their latest effort National Guardsmen assisted Border Patrol agents assigned to the Yuma Border Patrol Station to seize more than 1,000 pounds of marijuana with an estimated value of $837,000.
On Nov 14, Arizona National Guard members assigned to a Remote Video Surveillance System (RVSS) camera at the Yuma Sector Border Patrol Headquarters in support of Operation Jumpstart alerted agents after they observed several suspected illegal aliens running from the Colorado River near County 14th Street. The RVSS operator directed Border Patrol agents to the area to intercept the aliens. When agents arrived, they discovered an abandoned 2005 Humvee H2 stuck in the sand between the Colorado River and the Salinity Canal, which had false license plates and had been reported stolen. Upon closer inspection, the agents discovered that the vehicle was carrying 46 bundles of marijuana.
A second vehicle, a 1990 Jeep Cherokee, was found abandoned in the same vicinity and was confirmed to have made an illegal entry into the United States by crossing the Colorado River. No aliens were found in or near the vehicle, and the vehicle was seized.
Since the inception of Operation Jump Start, the National Guard has also assisted the Border Patrol with the arrest of 21,400 undocumented aliens, the seizure of 314 vehicles and the rescue of 71 persons.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is the unified border agency within the Department of Homeland Security charged with the management, control, and protection of our Nation's borders at and between the official ports of entry. CBP is charged with keeping terrorists and terrorist weapons out of the country while enforcing hundreds of U.S. laws.
no address available at this time
Yuma SectorPublic Affairs Office
Phone:
(928) 341-6520
CBP HeadquartersOffice of Public Affairs1300 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W.Room 3.4AWashington, D.C. 20229
Phone:
(202) 344-1770 or(800) 826-1471
Fax:
(202) 344-1393