Douglas, Ariz. - U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers stopped a stolen vehicle attempting to get into Mexico, and turned over a Tucson woman to local authorities in connection with the case.
On Nov. 29, at approximately 7 p.m., CBP officers were screening traffic heading south into Mexico when they selected a red Ford F-150 truck for further inspection. With the assistance of Douglas Police, CBP officers discovered the vehicle had been stolen from it's owner in Tucson.
The vehicle and the driver, a 24-year-old woman, were turned over to Douglas Police for further investigation.
"The consequences of a decision to attempt to take stolen merchandise to Mexico are serious," said Michael Humphries, area port director for the Douglas and Naco Ports of Entry. "CBP personnel remain vigilant against any element that threatens our nation or it's residents."
A criminal complaint is simply the method by which a person is charged with criminal activity and raises no inference of guilt. An individual is presumed innocent until competent evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
The Office of Field Operations is responsible for securing our borders at the ports of entry. U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers' primary mission is anti-terrorism; they screen all people, vehicles, and goods entering the United States, while facilitating the flow of legitimate trade and travel into and out of the United States. Their mission also includes carrying out traditional border-related responsibilities, including narcotics interdiction, enforcing immigration law, protecting the nation's food supply and agriculture industry from pests and diseases, and enforcing trade laws.
While anti-terrorism is the primary mission of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the inspection process at the ports of entry associated with this mission results in impressive numbers of enforcement actions in all categories.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection 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 official ports of entry. CBP is charged with keeping terrorists and terrorist weapons out of the country while enforcing hundreds of U.S. laws.