ACTING_SUPERVISORY_SPECIAL_AGENT_CONNOR AGENT AGENT_DAVE OFFICER OFFICER_CHAPA OFFICER_CISNEROS OFFICER_EBERTOWSKI OFFICER_MCANALLY OFFICER_MENDOZA OFFICER_MONDESIR OFFICER_PERALTA OFFICER_PINKERTON OFFICER_PIROLLO OFFICER_ROJAS OFFICER_WOODRUFF SUPERVISORY_OFFICER_JOHNSON SUPERVISORY_OFFICER_KELLER TRAVELER SUPERVISORY OFFICER JOHNSON We have a shipment here that manifested as toy paper. OFFICER PIROLLO It originated in Turkey. Turkey is a high volume exporter to the U.S. of counterfeit designer items. We've had counterfeit passports from Turkey. SUPERVISORY OFFICER JOHNSON Medications. OFFICER PIROLLO Counterfeit medications. SUPERVISORY OFFICER JOHNSON So we, we kind of look at what it's described as. This was, this was toy paper it was, it was shipped as. So automatically, like, let's take a look at it. SUPERVISORY OFFICER JOHNSON Oh, wow. SUPERVISORY OFFICER JOHNSON That's a lot of money. SUPERVISORY OFFICER JOHNSON They're big numbers. They have money rings around them, the hundreds. It has all the colors. OFFICER PIROLLO It doesn't meet the guidelines for play money. OFFICER PIROLLO It can't be the same size as U.S. currency. It has to be significantly larger or significantly smaller, like Monopoly money. SUPERVISORY OFFICER JOHNSON This will be counterfeit currency. They have serial numbers on them. All the markings. They don't feel like a bill, but visually they look very good. OFFICER PIROLLO This is probably the best we've seen. The color for the ten dollar bills is spot on. It's the same exact size, same exact dimensions, of actual U.S. currency. Yeah, this looks good too. Here is a real five, and the counterfeit five. SUPERVISORY OFFICER JOHNSON Really good. An innocent person could get a hold of this. SUPERVISORY OFFICER JOHNSON It could be used at a grocery store and you could be given twenties as change, and they're not even real. OFFICER PIROLLO These are full sixteen stacks, they're one sixty. Are those the one sixties? SUPERVISORY OFFICER JOHNSON Sixteens. Yeah. OFFICER PIROLLO Sixteens? So it's one, two, three, four. Where's the fifth box? Is that all sixteens? SUPERVISORY OFFICER JOHNSON That's sixteens, yes. SUPERVISORY OFFICER JOHNSON There's a total of two million nine hundred and sixty-two thousand eight hundred and eighty dollars worth of counterfeit money. So the easiest way to make money is to make it yourself. OFFICER PIROLLO Print it yourself. SUPERVISORY OFFICER JOHNSON Just make it yourself. And apparently that's what they're doing. This isn't something we see every day. What we will do is it will be seized by U.S. Customs and Border Protection and then it will be turned over to the secret service for them to conduct any type of investigation that they need to do. Along with protecting the president. The secret service also deals with counterfeit money. This is their area of expertise. Just about anything you can imagine will be smuggled. And, uh, this, this proves it. This is a good day. OFFICER CHAPA [speaking Spanish] Hello. How are you? TRAVELER [speaking Spanish] Good afternoon. OFFICER CHAPA [speaking Spanish] And where are you coming from? TRAVELER [speaking Spanish] Right now we're coming from Monterrey. OFFICER CHAPA Monterrey. Okay. OFFICER Today is a Friday afternoon, usually that's where our traffic picks up. OFFICER CHAPA [speaking Spanish] Take care, miss. OFFICER We get, of course, our daily crossers that live in Mexico and work in the U.S. The weekend's approaching, so we get our tourists. OFFICER ROJAS [speaking Spanish] Good afternoon, sir. OFFICER ROJAS [speaking Spanish] What are you declaring today? TRAVELER [speaking Spanish] I only have my cigarettes. OFFICER ROJAS Obviously our priority is narcotics. OFFICER ROJAS [speaking Spanish] Okay, go ahead. Good day. [speaking English] We see a lot of seizures of hard narcotics, uh, methamphetamine, cocaine. OFFICER CHAPA Purpose in Mexico? TRAVELER Uh, we went to go see a doctor. OFFICER CHAPA A doctor? TRAVELER Yeah, a doctor for me. OFFICER CHAPA Okay. For you? TRAVELER For me. OFFICER CHAPA Okay. OFFICER ROJAS However, uh, during searches you can always find, uh, prohibited items. Such as, meats, fruits, or even sometimes, uh, controlled medication. OFFICER CHAPA Uh, anything we're bringing back today? No medicines or anything like that? TRAVELER Oh, yeah, I have medicine. OFFICER CHAPA Medicine. Can I take a look at it real quick? OFFICER CHAPA Since it's close by, since it's a, a border town, they usually go and get their, their medications, doctor visits. If they don't have insurance they usually come out here. And this is for what, miss? TRAVELER Uh, they're just, like, vitamins and stuff my doctor prescribed. OFFICER CHAPA It's just way cheaper in Mexico versus, uh, what's over here on this side. All righty, y'all have a good day. TRAVELER Thank you. OFFICER CHAPA Uh-hmm. OFFICER MENDOZA [speaking Spanish] You didn't declare anything? TRAVELER [speaking Spanish] I told the guy I only had these pills. TRAVELER [speaking Spanish] And he said it was okay. OFFICER MENDOZA [speaking Spanish] What is it? OFFICER ROJAS We will encounter medication that is controlled and the persons will not have a, a, a prescription to, to have it. OFFICER MENDOZA She did declare this. It's tramadol. Tramadol is a controlled substance. TRAVELER [speaking Spanish] I asked the pharmacy and they said, "No." TRAVELER [speaking Spanish] I said, "Give me a prescription or something." OFFICER MENDOZA Yeah. TRAVELER [speaking Spanish] And they said, "You don't need it." OFFICER MENDOZA Well, on that side, maybe. OFFICER MENDOZA [speaking Spanish] Here on this side, yes. OFFICER MENDOZA [speaking English] You're gonna have to go and dump it out in Mexico. TRAVELER Okay. OFFICER MENDOZA Take care. Thank you. OFFICER MCANALLY Hello. OFFICER MCANALLY [speaking Spanish] Why were you in Mexico? TRAVELER [speaking Spanish] I went to the doctor and to buy things. TRAVELER [speaking Spanish] And to pick up a package. OFFICER MCANALLY All right. OFFICER MCANALLY [speaking Spanish] In the car, are you bringing any fruit, plants. OFFICER MCANALLY [speaking Spanish] Food, alcohol, cigarettes? OFFICER MCANALLY And do you have any medicines? TRAVELER [speaking Spanish] Food supplements. TRAVELER Vitamins. TRAVELER Vitamins. OFFICER MCANALLY Vitamins. What kind of vitamins are they? TRAVELER Uh, Omega. TRAVELER Vitamin C,D. OFFICER MCANALLY All right. Did you have them shipped to you or? TRAVELER It's for gym. OFFICER MCANALLY Let me see. OFFICER MCANALLY What's in here? OFFICER MCANALLY It's wrapped like a package of dope. ACTING SUPERVISORY SPECIAL AGENT CONNOR We just got some information about a car that's made it into the United States, that we think is loaded with narcotics. So we are gonna get out there and, uh, see if we can pick it up and intercept it. Once we, uh, latch onto it we'll help them deliver it to wherever it intends to go. And identify anybody else who tries to come pick it up. For right now, we gotta get out there and find it. ACTING SUPERVISORY SPECIAL AGENT CONNOR I'm on the 805 now. Should be set, two to three minutes. AGENT Copy that. ACTING SUPERVISORY SPECIAL AGENT CONNOR Over the last several years, the predominant smuggled drug was methamphetamine. But we've seen a sharp increase in fentanyl, so much that, uh, we've created our own task force just to help tackle that. The rise in fentanyl has been devastating to a number of communities. We're no exception to that. ACTING SUPERVISORY SPECIAL AGENT CONNOR Fentanyl has been a game changer. Um, you know, these aren't party drugs anymore. People are dying from them. AGENT I got him. Looks like he's in the left-hand lane. AGENT Headed for westbound. ACTING SUPERVISORY SPECIAL AGENT CONNOR One of our guys found the car. And now we're just trying to move into position to support. Thankfully, we have an airship. AGENT All right, looks like he's got a green light. Still continuing west. ACTING SUPERVISORY SPECIAL AGENT CONNOR He's likely gonna lead us to the unload location. We've experienced unload locations, or stash houses, all up and down California. As far north as San Jose and as close as here, in San Diego County. You never know what, or what the day is gonna bring. So he's two blocks down that way. We'll be able to catch up to him on this route. AGENT He's gonna make a southbound turn. ACTING SUPERVISORY SPECIAL AGENT CONNOR Yeah, he will be coming this way. That's him right there. ACTING SUPERVISORY SPECIAL AGENT CONNOR Ten-four. I got him. AGENT Okay, he changed his mind and he made a turn onto the boulevard. AGENT And he's making a U-turn coming back down to the other side. ACTING SUPERVISORY SPECIAL AGENT CONNOR He's going back the way we came. He is running some counter surveillance. He's making frequent turns, pulling U-turns. AGENT All right, traffic is clearing and he is making that right. ACTING SUPERVISORY SPECIAL AGENT CONNOR Looks like he's going straight across into a fast food restaurant over here. I'm making the left. Do you have the eye? AGENT Yeah, confirmed. AGENT Looks like he's gonna be parking about halfway down on the left. ACTING SUPERVISORY SPECIAL AGENT CONNOR Parking lots like these are a common tactic or technique. For a lack of better terms, the smuggler tries to hide in plain sight with the hustle and bustle of, you know, a major commerce area. Cars coming and going, people walking around. AGENT Yeah, he's parked. ACTING SUPERVISORY SPECIAL AGENT CONNOR It's not uncommon for us to see what we call, "a driver swap," which means the first person to bring, bring the car into the country, um, leaves the vehicle and a new driver, uh, will get in the vehicle and then drive it away. We're gonna let this play out as long as we can. And hope that this leads us to a new location or more people. [COMMERCIAL BREAK] AGENT I think I got him. He's still in the vehicle. ACTING SUPERVISORY SPECIAL AGENT CONNOR We have a bird overhead that aids us immensely. Uh, it gives us some breathing room with the ground surveillance. ACTING SUPERVISORY SPECIAL AGENT CONNOR We believe, with high confidence that, that vehicle is loaded with drugs. ACTING SUPERVISORY SPECIAL AGENT CONNOR So we want to make sure that if we have an opportunity to seize them, uh, that we're gonna take that opportunity. AGENT All right, our guy's getting out. AGENT He's met with somebody. AGENT They're both walking over to the car. AGENT Okay, that guy's gonna drive and our guy is getting into the passenger seat. ACTING SUPERVISORY SPECIAL AGENT CONNOR Perfect. AGENT Our target vehicle is now on the move again. AGENT Our guy is going in whatever store that is right there. AGENT And the vehicle is coming back out. ACTING SUPERVISORY SPECIAL AGENT CONNOR Our current driver just met up with someone else at a business here. So now the new driver dropped off our original driver and is alone in the car. And they are already mobile again and, uh, driving away. AGENT All right, he's at the light in traffic. AGENT There's a silver Dodge Charger following him. ACTING SUPERVISORY SPECIAL AGENT CONNOR Our vehicle is now being followed by another vehicle, like a Dodge Challenger or Charger. Anybody associated with this, or that interacts with our new driver, is gonna be of interest to us. AGENT And making a left. ACTING SUPERVISORY SPECIAL AGENT CONNOR The area that he's headed in now is more residential. AGENT He's slowing down. He's gonna turn into a driveway. ACTING SUPERVISORY SPECIAL AGENT CONNOR Bingo. AGENT Looks like he's gonna be parking. ACTING SUPERVISORY SPECIAL AGENT CONNOR The new driver is now parked at a residence. This is likely going to be the unload location. AGENT The Challenger is moving and. AGENT He's gonna back it up into the driveway, so. ACTING SUPERVISORY SPECIAL AGENT CONNOR Oh, yeah. AGENT If I had to guess. ACTING SUPERVISORY SPECIAL AGENT CONNOR That's, they're gonna unload into that car. AGENT If these guys unload, start rolling. AGENT Get ready to go. ACTING SUPERVISORY SPECIAL AGENT CONNOR FYI, the school just let out about two blocks away. We got kids headed your way. That complicates things. TRAVELER It's only vitamins. OFFICER MCANALLY It's vitamins. TRAVELER Vitamins. OFFICER MCANALLY Well, you know what it looks like, right? OFFICER MCANALLY Looks like drugs. OFFICER MCANALLY Well, we've got some, uh, medicine that's wrapped pretty, uh, pretty weird. I'm looking at it thinking, "Are they handing me a package of dope?" OFFICER PERALTA Oh, this is testosterone. OFFICER MCANALLY Oh, is it? OFFICER MCANALLY Diet pills, or what? OFFICER PERALTA This is steroids, bro. Anavar. OFFICER PERALTA They got a whole cycle. OFFICER MCANALLY Uh, steroids are prohibited from, uh, coming into the United States. OFFICER MCANALLY Want to put your cell phone on the dashboard for me, please? OFFICER MCANALLY [speaking Spanish] Step out of the vehicle. OFFICER MCANALLY [speaking Spanish] You can go to the other side over there. OFFICER PERALTA It's either a Schedule One or Schedule Two drug. OFFICER MCANALLY Some of these medications cause, uh, heart problems. OFFICER MCANALLY Where did you get those pills? TRAVELER [speaking Spanish] Where did you get them? OFFICER MCANALLY Yeah. TRAVELER [speaking Spanish] They sent them from Tampico, Mexico. TRAVELER They sent them from Tampico, Mexico. OFFICER MCANALLY They're for your heart. TRAVELER Because I'm gonna start for the gym. Yeah. TRAVELER [speaking Spanish] TRAVELER Yeah. OFFICER MCANALLY They're not for anybody else? You, you said that they're vitamins. TRAVELER [speaking Spanish] OFFICER MCANALLY They're not vitamins. OFFICER MCANALLY Do you have a doctor's prescription for them? TRAVELER [speaking Spanish] Do you have a prescription? TRAVELER No. TRAVELER 'Cause it's just vitamins that you can buy. TRAVELER In. TRAVELER Whatever store. You know, pharmacies. OFFICER MCANALLY I don't think she's being honest about what they are or even if they are most likely they're probably not for her. That's just me speculating at this point. OFFICER [speaking Spanish] They're giving you the option and the courtesy. OFFICER [speaking Spanish] To return these items. OFFICER [speaking Spanish] You can return these in Mexico, or do whatever you want with these there. OFFICER [speaking Spanish] If you don't want to take them back, you pay a $500 fine per product. This doesn't happen often as far as, uh, we, uh, catching the steroids. It's really we find more hard narcotics like cocaine, marijuana, meth. The steroids is something that doesn't happen often at this bridge. TRAVELER [speaking Spanish] It's just that you're wanting to make me go back again. TRAVELER [speaking Spanish] And all I can do is just. TRAVELER [speaking Spanish] Dump them out because I can't return them. OFFICER [speaking Spanish] As long as the product stays in Mexico, it's not our problem. OFFICER [speaking Spanish] Am I explaining myself? OFFICER [speaking Spanish] You can cross back walking. TRAVELER [speaking Spanish] Okay, I'll go back. OFFICER [speaking Spanish] So you're going back? OFFICER [speaking Spanish] Okay, grab your things. The law is the law. I mean, we have to obey by it. I mean, no one's exempt from the law. Sometimes they don't know the consequences as far as bringing something. OFFICER [speaking Spanish] So grab these products, please. Sometimes they wait in line for two, three hours and then they have to go back. Once we see that she returns back the merchandise, she'll be able to be admitted into the United States. OFFICER [speaking Spanish] If you can follow me. SUPERVISORY OFFICER KELLER All right, let's see what we have today. SUPERVISORY OFFICER KELLER Express consignment is companies that transports small packages into and out the United States. So it's a high volume of packages that come in. Approximately, let's say, fifteen thousand packages. So it does get pretty busy here. OFFICER PIROLLO I've worked in the consignment environment for about three years now. Everything's different every day. You never know what's gonna come in. Oh, yeah. This one was manifested as a toy. I don't know what it is. It looks good. I don't think there's anything in it. SUPERVISORY OFFICER KELLER A lot of these exams we place on hold based on country of origin. This one here is the, the Netherlands, a big country for narcotics mushrooms and marijuana. You can see it's kind of rusty, right? So, it could be nothing, but we'll just open it up. Take a look inside. Just from taking a look inside it looks like more engine within an engine, so nothing concealed. I think this is probably good to go here. OFFICER PIROLLO These are hand bags. Those are coming from Turkey. Sometimes we get the narcotics hidden in the bags. So I'll just take these over, we'll X-ray it. SUPERVISORY OFFICER KELLER We're gonna take that stuff over to the X-ray. OFFICER PIROLLO Yeah, that one's, that one's fine. Oh, wait. That's weird looking. SUPERVISORY OFFICER KELLER Yeah. Something concealed inside. [COMMERCIAL BREAK] SUPERVISORY OFFICER KELLER There's an anomaly within the small packages. OFFICER PIROLLO It looks like it's different kinds of pills. SUPERVISORY OFFICER KELLER This is the same thing. The bag, the anomaly inside. SUPERVISORY OFFICER KELLER This is definitely a concealment. Obviously it's wrapped pretty tight within the hand bags. OFFICER PIROLLO Tiromel. T-I-R-O-M-E-L. They could be a Scheduled pill. SUPERVISORY OFFICER KELLER It didn't really come up as anything. OFFICER PIROLLO It could be counterfeit prescription pills. It could be the drug, it could not be the drug. OFFICER PIROLLO But taking these prescription drugs from another country you don't know what it is. They're coming from non-FDA approved facilities. They could be putting anything in it. It's scary. We're gonna detain the shipments with the purses and submit these samples to our lab for analysis. Once we get the analysis back, we'll contact HSI. And see if the HSI agent would want to take the package for a controlled delivery or investigation. So that's the next step. OFFICER MONDESIR [speaking Spanish] Where are you headed right now? TRAVELER [speaking Spanish] Home. OFFICER MONDESIR [speaking Spanish] Thank you. Have a good day. TRAVELER [speaking Spanish] Thank you. OFFICER WOODRUFF At the Hidalgo bridge, we're getting, uh, all sorts of contraband. OFFICER MONDESIR [speaking Spanish] Hello. OFFICER WOODRUFF We've, uh, found cocaine, pain pills, IPR violations, cargo violations. So there's not really one set of, uh, illicit activities coming through. Seems to be a lot of everything. OFFICER MONDESIR Okay. [speaking Spanish] Thank you. OFFICER MONDESIR Here it could be, you know, no documents or a crazy story. Or just checking the compartments of cars and stuff like that. OFFICER EBERTOWSKI [speaking Spanish] Hello. How are you? House in Reynosa or U.S.? OFFICER MONDESIR You never know what you're gonna get with each passenger. OFFICER EBERTOWSKI Is this your vehicle, sir? TRAVELER Oh, yeah, absolutely. OFFICER EBERTOWSKI Refer to secondary. OFFICER Ten-four. OFFICER Can you step out right now? TRAVELER For sure. OFFICER Stand over there. TRAVELER Absolutely. OFFICER Okay. TRAVELER And I'll say the same thing I said at, uh, Nuevo Progreso. TRAVELER This (bleep) gets old after a while. TRAVELER You guys are constantly revising and you find nothing. TRAVELER It gets old. TRAVELER Waste your time with somebody that did something. I have (bleep) to do. OFFICER All that talking. TRAVELER You guys should have me on, on a list, "Don't mess with him." TRAVELER I've already gone through this (bleep) a hundred times and there's nothing there. TRAVELER You keep wasting a guy's time. OFFICER PINKERTON Okay. TRAVELER I'm an American citizen and I'm tired of this. OFFICER PINKERTON All right. TRAVELER Legitimately. OFFICER PINKERTON Can you wait over there, please? TRAVELER Yeah, absolutely. OFFICER PINKERTON All right. TRAVELER It gets old after a while. They do this, like, every time. OFFICER PINKERTON They told me he was falling asleep at the lane. And so enforcement, um, check right now of his vehicle. Medication. TRAVELER Those are all good medicines. TRAVELER Should have the receipt in there. OFFICER PINKERTON Medicines? Okay. OFFICER They're not restricted. It's over the counter. OFFICER That should be all right. OFFICER PINKERTON Is this already unlocked? There we go. What is here? TRAVELER The last time I went through Nuevo Progreso. TRAVELER You guys tore all the panels down and didn't replace none of it. TRAVELER I had to go back and re-put all the patches back. OFFICER PINKERTON Sir. TRAVELER So if you guys do move it, please replace it. OFFICER PINKERTON If you can, okay. If you can wait over there. OFFICER PINKERTON I'm not doing that. I did not feel intimidated at all by his behavior. OFFICER PINKERTON I mean, he just talks a lot of talk, but nobody really intimidates us here. He could have items in here, so the best way to check it is Z-Portal. AGENT The kids are playing, definitely elementary school age. ACTING SUPERVISORY SPECIAL AGENT CONNOR We have to make sure those kids are out of the area to move in, to keep them out of harm's way. ACTING SUPERVISORY SPECIAL AGENT CONNOR We're two and a half residential blocks away from the elementary school. The kids are walking towards our house. AGENT Ground to air. Ground to air. AGENT Yeah, they're both still in the car working on it. AGENT Uh, we only have a few minutes left before we need to break for fuel. ACTING SUPERVISORY SPECIAL AGENT CONNOR Perfect. Air is about to run out of fuel. It's kind of at a critical moment, which is just Murphy's law. They're about to unload drugs from the primary vehicle that we were initially following into this secondary vehicle. AGENT They got to try to [inaudible] now. AGENT We'll keep an eye as long as we can as we make our way down slowly. ACTING SUPERVISORY SPECIAL AGENT CONNOR Public safety is paramount. We don't want anyone to get hurt and we definitely don't want kids to get hurt. We have to take that into consideration, um, when we go to take enforcement action or freeze a location. AGENT Air, just let us know when you lose visual. AGENT Slowly descending. AGENT Hard for me to make much out anymore. AGENT This may be as good as it gets unless we get a ground eye closer. ACTING SUPERVISORY SPECIAL AGENT CONNOR Want me to try to inch forward and just see if I can get a, a, any kind of angle on the ground? AGENT If you can do that without compromise, absolutely. ACTING SUPERVISORY SPECIAL AGENT CONNOR Air, I'm coming from the east in my, um, black Tundra. They're still fuddling around with the car. But looks like all the kids are clear from the sidewalks. AGENT Good copy. AGENT All right, everybody start rolling. AGENT That's a go. Go, go, go. AGENT Keep a view there in case we got runners. AGENT Police! AGENT Hands up! Police. AGENT Hands! Put your hands up! AGENT Hands! Hands! ACTING SUPERVISORY SPECIAL AGENT CONNOR Go. We're running. ACTING SUPERVISORY SPECIAL AGENT CONNOR We got runners. ACTING SUPERVISORY SPECIAL AGENT CONNOR Go! Let's go! [COMMERCIAL BREAK] ACTING SUPERVISORY SPECIAL AGENT CONNOR Go. Clear in the car. Clear in the car. ACTING SUPERVISORY SPECIAL AGENT CONNOR Clear. Go. AGENT Go! Let's go! ACTING SUPERVISORY SPECIAL AGENT CONNOR Let's start setting up a perimeter. AGENT [inaudible] ACTING SUPERVISORY SPECIAL AGENT CONNOR We had two run out the back. So we're setting up a perimeter. ACTING SUPERVISORY SPECIAL AGENT CONNOR We got one covering the house, one covering the alley. AGENT We should probably do a security sweep of this house. ACTING SUPERVISORY SPECIAL AGENT CONNOR Yup. I'm with you. AGENT [speaking Spanish] Police. Come to the door. AGENT Police. Come to the door. AGENT It's the police. Come to the front door now with your hands up. AGENT Door open. AGENT Clear. AGENT I've also got two back here. AGENT There you go. AGENT Come out with your hands raised. AGENT Hands! AGENT Hands! AGENT Hands! AGENT On your knees. Get on your knees! AGENT How many do you have detained? AGENT We've got two in custody on the back side. ACTING SUPERVISORY SPECIAL AGENT CONNOR Dave, just to confirm. Two in custody? AGENT DAVE Yeah, confirmed. AGENT Our team on the back side of the house was able to catch the two as they tried to depart once we, uh, descended on the scene here. The original driver was apprehended down the street at a local restaurant. AGENT There's some packages here. AGENT Back left. ACTING SUPERVISORY SPECIAL AGENT CONNOR Yeah, loose, loose packages. We want to secure loose packages in the back. They were in the process of unloading, moving them into a duffle bag. One, two, three, four. One, two, three. I'm gonna keep these separate 'cause that's how they were. AGENT What's the total? Do you know what the count is? ACTING SUPERVISORY SPECIAL AGENT CONNOR A nice even number twenty. AGENT We found twenty packages of bricks. It's still undetermined of essentially what it is, but, uh, there were four different markers on, on the packages. So these packages were essentially destined to be distributed to four different drug trafficking organizations. ACTING SUPERVISORY SPECIAL AGENT CONNOR Do we just want to put them back and then we'll transport it back all as one? AGENT Yeah. ACTING SUPERVISORY SPECIAL AGENT CONNOR Okay. We are gonna head down to the port of entry and take the car back with us. We'll inspect it with more detail. Get it X-rayed. We'll run a dog by it, make sure we didn't miss anything. And then it'll be impounded as, as evidence. TRAVELER I should be able to go through any border town, any state. TRAVELER Anything I want to go through. TRAVELER with no issues. No red flags. No nothing. OFFICER ROJAS This, this, and whatever that is. Let's go check that one out. I saw a couple of anomalies in the vehicle. OFFICER ROJAS I want to check them out and make sure it's nothing prohibited or maybe even illegal. There's nothing in here. OFFICER ROJAS Speakers. OFFICER ROJAS I'm good, bro. This is what I'm seeing. OFFICER ROJAS I'm good. In the backseat was a cooler and in the trunk it was just a, a part for the vehicle where the wheel goes. It's for eighteen wheelers. That's, that was all. OFFICER People get upset. I mean. TRAVELER Absolutely. OFFICER We get hammered. We get hammered here. TRAVELER Oh, yeah. I got, I understand that. I understand that. And that's why, like, the first couple times. OFFICER I'm just thankful that you're calm. TRAVELER Yeah. OFFICER You're calm. TRAVELER It doesn't help to get angry, huh? OFFICER All right. TRAVELER All right. Well, I appreciate your time. You have a good rest of your day. SUPERVISORY OFFICER KELLER This is coming from Belgium. OFFICER PIROLLO Belgium. SUPERVISORY OFFICER KELLER And it's an ottoman. OFFICER PIROLLO Which in the past is a common concealment method for narcotics. SUPERVISORY OFFICER KELLER Let's bring this over to the X-ray. OFFICER PIROLLO It could have something in it. The color of the commodity inside it just seems not right. It's more consistent with narcotics. So I would definitely open this up. In the past year or so, we've been seeing a lot of ottomans which have narcotics concealed in them. OFFICER CISNEROS It looks like a footrest. For you to sit and you storage things. So let's see what we have here. And bingo. SUPERVISORY OFFICER KELLER Powder. [COMMERCIAL BREAK] OFFICER PIROLLO You think it's. SUPERVISORY OFFICER KELLER It's in the middle, right? OFFICER PIROLLO Yeah. SUPERVISORY OFFICER KELLER Yeah. Let's, let's cut it open. OFFICER PIROLLO Oh, look. A little bit more inside this center. SUPERVISORY OFFICER KELLER This middle portion was confirmed on an X-ray. So we'll go test it. I'll try to scoop some of this powder. We can just kind of. OFFICER PIROLLO That might be enough. SUPERVISORY OFFICER KELLER Use the laser right there on it. The Gemini identified it as ketamine hydrochloride, which is a Schedule Three narcotic. We'll try to get the weight as best as we can. SUPERVISORY OFFICER KELLER The exact amount of ketamine is really hard to determine, because it's concealed in and glued in this cardboard. So we just kind of weigh it all together. OFFICER PIROLLO We'll contact the duty agent with HSI and see if they want to take the package for a controlled delivery or investigation. SUPERVISORY OFFICER KELLER You never get tired of it. You never get tired of trying to stop anything from hitting the streets. Um, any narcotics, any counterfeit items. We enjoy every day what we do and the team is really, really successful. OFFICER MCANALLY What's going on, bud? TRAVELER Hello. OFFICER MCANALLY Where are you guys going today? TRAVELER Uh, Alamo. TRAVELER We just came to drop off his kids here in Mexico. OFFICER MCANALLY What kind of work do you do? TRAVELER Construction. TRAVELER A.C. OFFICER MCANALLY A.C. Oh, okay. So hard work, huh? Anything in the vehicle? Any fruits, meats, vegetables? TRAVELER No, no. Nothing. OFFICER MCANALLY Alcohol? Tobacco? Nothing like that? TRAVELER No, nothing. OFFICER MCANALLY All right, do me a favor. Go on and open up your hood. Go on hop out for me, bud. All right. Let's go and hangout over by that table over there. We'll get you out of here, okay? Well, this isn't coming in. Freon. Freon's prohibited to come through here. Freon in general has to go through a commercial facility, regardless if it's personal or, uh, commercial. For the passenger's occupation with working on the A.C., I mean this is, uh, most likely meant for commercial purposes. Not for, uh, personal. Hey guys, you're not gonna be able to bring the, uh, the gas in. TRAVELER We can't bring, like, two or something? OFFICER MCANALLY Not even one. We're going to have you guys go back, take it back to Mexico. Drop them off. TRAVELER [speaking Spanish] OFFICER MCANALLY They seemed a little, a little upset. A little perturbed. It should only be a minor inconvenience. The hardest part is gonna be figuring out what to do with it in Mexico. OFFICER Over here! OFFICER What is it? OFFICER Check it out. OFFICER Oh, wow. OFFICER ROJAS We have a traveler who's bringing a large quantity of shoes. OFFICER ROJAS The issue here is it's a trademark shoe. The brand is Nike. Okay. Uh. OFFICER ROJAS [speaking Spanish] Miss. OFFICER ROJAS [speaking Spanish] Look, this is what we're gonna do. OFFICER ROJAS [speaking Spanish] You're bringing. OFFICER ROJAS [speaking Spanish] A large. OFFICER ROJAS [speaking Spanish] Quantity of shoes. TRAVELER Okay. OFFICER ROJAS [speaking Spanish] But that's the first. OFFICER ROJAS [speaking Spanish] It's a large quantity. OFFICER ROJAS [speaking Spanish] Second, we don't know if they're real or not. In a lot of the cases here, people will go to Mexico and bring, or buy, large amounts of popular brands from the U.S. Such as in this case, Nike. But they get it at an outrageously discounted price, which makes us believe that it actually might be counterfeit. They might bring it and try to sell it in the U.S. And people in the U.S., they're buying it thinking it's a, a legit item. OFFICER ROJAS [speaking Spanish] You can't cross this way with those materials. TRAVELER [speaking Spanish] Not even by paying taxes? OFFICER ROJAS [speaking Spanish] No, not even by paying taxes. OFFICER ROJAS [speaking Spanish] You can't bring them in unless you. OFFICER ROJAS [speaking Spanish] Have a permit to import that into the U.S. OFFICER ROJAS [speaking Spanish] And you have to go to the Pharr Bridge. OFFICER ROJAS [speaking Spanish] If they're items not made by Nike. OFFICER ROJAS [speaking Spanish] They're going to be. OFFICER ROJAS [speaking Spanish] Taken from you and you may be fined. ACTING SUPERVISORY SPECIAL AGENT CONNOR Look at that. ACTING SUPERVISORY SPECIAL AGENT CONNOR So we interrupted them mid-unload. I think its coke. Normally when it taps that hard its cocaine. Just check for additional voids or trap compartments. OFFICER All right. ACTING SUPERVISORY SPECIAL AGENT CONNOR Just 'cause you find the obvious one doesn't mean that there isn't more. OFFICER So I guess we're gonna start running the dog? OFFICER Yeah. He's gonna do it now. ACTING SUPERVISORY SPECIAL AGENT CONNOR Oh, yeah. That's a, that's a good hit. Good boy, Goose. [COMMERCIAL BREAK] OFFICER All right. We'll see. ACTING SUPERVISORY SPECIAL AGENT CONNOR Yeah. Good boy, Goose. Look at that. ACTING SUPERVISORY SPECIAL AGENT CONNOR The CBP officer's inspecting the trap compartment in the floor to confirm and, uh, double, triple-check. OFFICER There we go. ACTING SUPERVISORY SPECIAL AGENT CONNOR There's at least one package in the trap. It's one of the reasons we bring it back here for a, a much more thorough inspection in an area where we control. We're not out on the street. It's safer for us, it's safer for everybody. OFFICER All clear. OFFICER All good? OFFICER All clear. ACTING SUPERVISORY SPECIAL AGENT CONNOR We're gonna get a, uh, field test to determine what the actual narcotic is. OFFICER ROJAS [speaking Spanish] If you want, you can. OFFICER ROJAS [speaking Spanish] One, have someone pick up the items and bring them back to Mexico. OFFICER ROJAS [speaking Spanish] Or you can return with your things. OFFICER ROJAS [speaking Spanish] But that's your decision on what you want to do. TRAVELER [speaking Spanish] Leave them in the box and I'll take them. OFFICER ROJAS [speaking Spanish] You're going to bring it? TRAVELER [speaking Spanish] Yes. OFFICER ROJAS [speaking Spanish] If you can, go for it. OFFICER ROJAS What they decided to do is just the passenger's gonna get down and take this stuff back to Mexico on foot. TRAVELER [speaking Spanish] I'm going all the way back. We waited three hours to cross. TRAVELER [speaking Spanish] And then to make the line again. TRAVELER [speaking Spanish] Now I can carry it and that's it. OFFICER ROJAS [speaking Spanish] If we see again that you're bringing in. OFFICER ROJAS [speaking Spanish] Commercial items, we will give you a fine. OFFICER ROJAS [speaking Spanish] For that one and not only that. OFFICER ROJAS [speaking Spanish] We can send the items to the companies. OFFICER ROJAS [speaking Spanish] And they can also fine you. OFFICER ROJAS [speaking Spanish] For using their products without permission. TRAVELER [speaking Spanish] I didn't know I couldn't come this way. OFFICER ROJAS [speaking Spanish] Don't worry, boss. OFFICER ROJAS [speaking Spanish] Come. Follow me and I'll show you the way. TRAVELER [speaking Spanish] OFFICER ROJAS [speaking Spanish] Come this way, boss. I don't want you to get run over. It's very unfortunate that we had to return the merchandise, however, we do have to enforce the laws no matter how, how bad we might feel or, or what we think of it. Uh, the, the laws are there to protect, uh, American consumers or, uh, companies. OFFICER ROJAS [speaking Spanish] Miss, you can leave. You don't have to wait if you don't want to. ACTING SUPERVISORY SPECIAL AGENT CONNOR This is one of our, uh, Gemini devices, which basically, um, projects a laser into, uh, any substance that you put it in, and it'll be able to tell you exactly what the substance is. OFFICER Yup. Cocaine. ACTING SUPERVISORY SPECIAL AGENT CONNOR That'll work. We're gonna get a weight. ACTING SUPERVISORY SPECIAL AGENT CONNOR Twenty-six point eight two kilograms (59 pounds). Given San Diego's proximity to the border, uh, we know that drug loads come across in, what we call, "bulk loads." When drugs, like cocaine, get broken down into the user level, sometimes it's as low as, uh, one gram (1 ton) that might get sold. So we're looking at twenty-six thousand grams (57 pounds), uh, that were prevented just by this one stop. OFFICER Hey. OFFICER What is it? OFFICER Could be a microphone. ACTING SUPERVISORY SPECIAL AGENT CONNOR That's a microphone to the tracker? OFFICER Yes. OFFICER And then the relay switch is here. OFFICER I'm trying to get in, in the dash. OFFICER To be able to reach the actual tracker. OFFICER But I can't get in there. It's just the, uh, components of a GPS tracking device, uh, that's used by the drug trafficking organizations. We have a microphone that was discovered up on the headliner. ACTING SUPERVISORY SPECIAL AGENT CONNOR That would allow someone to remote in and be able to hear anything inside the car. OFFICER And then we have a relay that generally is attached to a pretty sophisticated tracking device with listening capabilities. And very commonly used. ACTING SUPERVISORY SPECIAL AGENT CONNOR Sometimes they can also do things like tell how fast the car is going or even, um, stall the car out or turn the power off to the car. To the drug trafficking organization, these loads are very, very valuable to them, so they want to know where their product is and how their smuggling attempt is going. But at this point, they figured out who has their dope. ACTING SUPERVISORY SPECIAL AGENT CONNOR The significance of our patience and strategies. ACTING SUPERVISORY SPECIAL AGENT CONNOR Are that that first driver may know very little about the organization, but the second person who comes to pick it up, or the person that helps unload it, knows even more and more. So that person is a value add to us. Good night. Good job, guys. It helps build that investigation and then even further disrupt and dismantle the next level of the narcotics smuggling organization. And then affect those arrests as well. [END]