AGENT AGENT_CONTRERAS AGENT_MORENO AGENT_STEPHENSON AGENT_TAVERA AIR_ENFORCEMENT_AGENT_MURRAY ANNOUNCER CBP_OFFICER CHIEF_AUGUSTINO END_OF_SNAP_IN OFFICER OFFICER_COOPER OFFICER_GOMBASH OFFICER_GRIFFIN OFFICER_HUNDAL OFFICER_NOTNAGLE OFFICER_ON_RADIO OFFICER_SANDERS OFFICER_VEGA OFFICER_VILLANUEVA SUSPECT TRAVELEROFFICER VILLANUEVA

[speaking Spanish] Good morning.  [speaking English] This is your vehicle?
TRAVELER
[speaking Spanish] No, her friend's.
OFFICER VILLANUEVA
It's your friends?
TRAVELER
[speaking Spanish] Yes.
OFFICER VILLANUEVA
You have a vehicle by your own, right?
TRAVELER
Yes.
OFFICER VILLANUEVA
You're coming with a vehicle, it's your, for your friend, instead for your own vehicle?
TRAVELER
Yeah.
OFFICER VILLANUEVA
[speaking Spanish] Can you please open the trunk?  [speaking English] Something's weird.  I'm gonna send the vehicle to the X-ray machine.
OFFICER
The anomalies appear pretty bright.  Dense objects in the rear of the vehicle.  We'll go in and take a look at the vehicle itself.
OFFICER
Do you see anything?
OFFICER
This one?  This here?
OFFICER
This felt is not supposed to be there.
OFFICER VILLANUEVA
Somebody was tampering with the bumper.  I got this.  Bingo.

OFFICER VILLANUEVA
Yeah, there are six bundles.
OFFICER VILLANUEVA
I bet you it's coke.  Because the way that it's perfect packets.  When it's crystal meth, well usually, they got a little bump.  But we test it over there.  Okay.  Cocaine.
OFFICER
Cocaine.
OFFICER VILLANUEVA
Yup.
OFFICER
You weighed it?
OFFICER VILLANUEVA
Nope, not yet.  Let me get all this stuff.  Here we go.
OFFICER VILLANUEVA
Six point seven kilograms (14 pounds).  We got some snow in El Paso.  It feels great.  
OFFICER VILLANUEVA
It's always a good thing to have, like, doing something for this country.  So far, they're interviewing the female subjects and they're gonna decide the prosecution on both of them.  And we are happy, I'm happy doing my part to take those drugs out of the reach of the kids.

CHIEF AUGUSTINO
Where are you coming from?
TRAVELER
Frankfurt.
CHIEF AUGUSTINO
Anything from Frankfurt in that bag?
TRAVELER
Only this.
CHIEF AUGUSTINO
What you got there?
TRAVELER
Chocolate and beer.
CHIEF AUGUSTINO
Chocolate and beer.  Perfect.  That's a good combination.
CHIEF AUGUSTINO
I oversee the Anti-Terrorism Contraband Enforcement Team, also known as "A-TCET." All right, boss, have a good day, okay?  I appreciate it.  Our team mainly focuses on currency and narcotics.

OFFICER HUNDAL
Where are you coming from today?
TRAVELER
Spain.
OFFICER HUNDAL
Purpose of trip?
TRAVELER
Vacation.
OFFICER HUNDAL
All right.  Good deal, bud.  Thanks.
TRAVELER
Thank you.
CHIEF AUGUSTINO
We may not have the personnel that, say, big airports, like Miami, JFK have.  But we still have a very robust threat stream.  So we, we wear many hats.  One minute we may be checking a passenger coming off a flight in a roving situation, the next minute we may be out on the tarmac checking packages from Europe in the express consignment environment.

CHIEF AUGUSTINO
We have some packages arriving from the Netherlands.  The Netherlands is a known source area for narcotics.  We're gonna hit up the X-ray van and, uh, check a bunch of packages.
OFFICER
Some coffee beans.
CHIEF AUGUSTINO
Coffee beans.  Coffee is used to conceal narcotics.  People think that it's gonna throw off the scent of the dogs.  So, definitely something we're gonna wanna take a look at.  We see a lot of ecstasy coming through in containers like this.  But it turns out it is just coffee.  That's a very unique container for coffee, but it's a nada.
OFFICER
I guess we're gonna start running the dog?
OFFICER
Yeah.
OFFICER
All right.  K-Nine, K-Nine.  If we can do a roving op, I'd appreciate it.
OFFICER
Ten-four.  Heading that way.
OFFICER
So we're gonna line these packages up out here for our K-Nine to run through.
OFFICER
She likes that box?
OFFICER NOTNAGLE
Yes.  Good girl.  We'll check it.  Good girl.  Good girl.  Awesome job.  Good job.
OFFICER
This one is manifested as a 'seagrass hamper'.  We're gonna run it through the X-ray, just to make sure there's nothing inside the linings of this.  That'd be a good, uh, good concealment method.  There's nothing inside the lining, so it's good to go.
CHIEF AUGUSTINO
Yeah, there's totally a smell on that.
OFFICER NOTNAGLE
Is there?
CHIEF AUGUSTINO
It's like a very hempy smell.
OFFICER NOTNAGLE
Okay.
CHIEF AUGUSTINO
I can see why the dog would alert to it.
OFFICER NOTNAGLE
Okay.  Good girl.
CHIEF AUGUSTINO
It's common to see narcotics and other nefarious material coming through the mail facility.  Didn't find anything this time, but it's a beautiful day out here.  The sun's shining.  Wh-Where else would you want to be?

AGENT MORENO
We're out here in San Diego.
AGENT MORENO
There's a lot of smuggling activity that takes place.  So it's important that our border patrol agents interdict contraband, people, or narcotics that could be smuggled into the country.
AIR ENFORCEMENT AGENT MURRAY
Requesting departure to the east.
AGENT
Departure approved.
AGENT MORENO
Our organization, Customs and Border Protection, the way that it's structured is kind of a layered approach.  Field operations works at the ports of entry.  We, as Border Patrol, we work in between the ports of entry.  And the Air and Marine Operations, they patrol the air.
AGENT
We believe those migrants are still down below.
AGENT
If you're still in the area.
AIR ENFORCEMENT AGENT MURRAY
Yeah, ten-four.  Okay.
AIR ENFORCEMENT AGENT MURRAY
We directly support Border Patrol in their mission out here.
AIR ENFORCEMENT AGENT MURRAY
Finding undocumented migrants when they come across.
AIR ENFORCEMENT AGENT MURRAY
From up here it's a different angle.  I can see down and I can see.
AIR ENFORCEMENT AGENT MURRAY
Farther than they can, so.
AIR ENFORCEMENT AGENT MURRAY
They're limited by what's in front of them.

AGENT STEPHENSON
The migrants come over Otay Mountain.  Guided by smugglers called, "foot guides."  They're part of a larger criminal organization.
AGENT STEPHENSON
Human smuggling is a profitable venture for them.  And the smuggling often turns into trafficking, which is even more profitable.  So the cartels lie to the migrants and tell them, "Oh, everything's gonna be fine.  Life's gonna be great.  The crossing's gonna be easy."  The reality is it often takes three or more days.  It's very treacherous terrain.  Very arduous.  But the people are very desperate, are fleeing some pretty extreme situations.  So they'll often believe the lies that they're told by smugglers, uh, just because they're so desperate to, to find that better life.

AGENT STEPHENSON
Our five point scopes spotted three people running up towards the road up here.
AGENT
Should be off to your left.
AGENT STEPHENSON
Coordinates had them right down here, running uphill.
AGENT STEPHENSON
You wanna go up to the high point there and see if you can cut?
AGENT STEPHENSON
They were running, like, uphill, he said.  So right here, you can see, somebody came through here.  'Cause there's rocks that were moved.  It looks pretty fresh.  You can see the dirt is disturbed.  And you can see this rock, somebody stepped here and turned this rock over.
AGENT STEPHENSON
So I'm thinking.
AGENT STEPHENSON
Probably came up in here.
AGENT STEPHENSON
[speaking Spanish] Don't move!
AGENT STEPHENSON
[speaking Spanish] Don't move.
AGENT STEPHENSON
[speaking Spanish] Raise your hands.
[COMMERCIAL BREAK]
AGENT STEPHENSON
[speaking Spanish] Hands.
AGENT STEPHENSON
[speaking Spanish] Other hand.
AGENT STEPHENSON
[speaking Spanish] Other hand.
AGENT STEPHENSON
[speaking Spanish] We're immigration officers, do you understand?
SUSPECT
[speaking Spanish] Yes.
AGENT STEPHENSON
[speaking Spanish] Do you have any firearms?
SUSPECT
[speaking Spanish] No, I don't have anything.
AGENT STEPHENSON
No?
AGENT STEPHENSON
[speaking Spanish] And you, come here.

AGENT STEPHENSON
[speaking Spanish] Where are you from?
SUSPECT
[speaking Spanish] Chiapas.
AGENT STEPHENSON
[speaking Spanish] Chiapas from Mexico?
AGENT STEPHENSON
[speaking Spanish] You from Mexico, yes?
SUSPECT
[speaking Spanish] From Mexico.
AGENT STEPHENSON
[speaking Spanish] From Mexico?
SUSPECT
Yeah.
AGENT STEPHENSON
[speaking Spanish] How old are you?
SUSPECT
[speaking Spanish] I'm eighteen.
AGENT STEPHENSON
[speaking Spanish] You don't have papers?
AGENT STEPHENSON
[speaking Spanish] You?
AGENT STEPHENSON
[speaking Spanish] Papers?
AGENT STEPHENSON
[speaking Spanish] Papers?
AGENT STEPHENSON
[speaking Spanish] Papers?  No?  Okay.
AGENT STEPHENSON
[speaking Spanish] All right.
AGENT STEPHENSON
[speaking Spanish] You're being arrested because you entered here illegally.
AGENT STEPHENSON
[speaking Spanish] Okay.  Follow him.  So right now, we have three migrants.  What will happen is, they'll go back to the station.
AGENT STEPHENSON
They'll get finger printed, uh, and if they've been arrested before we'll have their histories.  And then they'll get debriefed by other agents.  We'll try to determine who's the foot guide.  Nobody tried to run away.  So the foot guide could have already left these guys before, or he could be in the group.  And we don't really know until they get back to the station.
AGENT
[speaking Spanish] I'm going to give you water.
AGENT
[speaking Spanish] You have thorns inside your socks?
SUSPECT
[speaking Spanish] Yes, look.
AGENT
[speaking Spanish] Take them off then.
AGENT
[speaking Spanish] When did you guys cross?
AGENT
[speaking Spanish] Today?
SUSPECT
[speaking Spanish] Three days ago.
AGENT
[speaking Spanish] Three days.
SUSPECT
[speaking Spanish] Walked for three days.
SUSPECT
[speaking Spanish] Almost four.
AGENT MORENO
[speaking Spanish] Hey, brother.  How many times did immigration catch you?
AGENT MORENO
[speaking Spanish] Is this the first time?  Originally from where?
SUSPECT
Tijuana.
AGENT MORENO
Tijuana?  He's a local guy, it's his first apprehension.  And these guys are all from other parts of, uh, of Mexico.
AGENT MORENO
So potentially indicative of maybe, uh, being a foot guide.  Too soon to tell.
AGENT STEPHENSON
Any time we can interdict and catch the foot guides before they get to the pick up spot, essentially, we're disrupting the criminal organization.  We're disrupting their criminal activity, which is what we want to do.


ANNOUNCER
Now, we're going [inaudible] in the counter.
CHIEF AUGUSTINO
We're headed to an outbound gate to check a subject of interest, who's a possible courier.
CHIEF AUGUSTINO
A courier's an individual that's paid by third party individuals to import or export items out of the U.S.  Our A-TCET is geared up to stop that person, do a verification, and make sure K-Nine gets a chance to hit him as well.  Courier has to declare everything on what's called a "manifest."  But we've had a lot of trouble with people exporting items that are un-manifested or, or not declared properly.  How are you doing today?
TRAVELER
Very good, sir.
CHIEF AUGUSTINO
What's your final destination, ma'am?
TRAVELER
Paris, and then I'm going to Korea.
CHIEF AUGUSTINO
Have a great flight, okay?
TRAVELER
Thank you.
CHIEF AUGUSTINO
We're also seeing a lot of outbound couriers exporting a large amount of electronic devices that are not manifested properly.  Which is a way of exporting money from narcotics or other illegal proceeds without actually taking out physical cash.  But they take out items they can sell.  Don't see him yet.
OFFICER
Right here.
OFFICER
You got him?
OFFICER GRIFFIN
Yup.
OFFICER GRIFFIN
Do you have any electronics?
TRAVELER
I know when we checked the bag.
TRAVELER
There was one bag that was, uh.
TRAVELER
Overweight, and we removed some items.
OFFICER GRIFFIN
Okay, so you may have electronics, then?
TRAVELER
I removed some earlier.
OFFICER GRIFFIN
Okay.
CHIEF AUGUSTINO
As he was boarding the jetway, the officer intercepted him.  I could see he was visibly getting nervous.
OFFICER GRIFFIN
He says no electronics in these bags.
OFFICER GRIFFIN
He says since it was overweight, his brother took the bag.
OFFICER GRIFFIN
That had the electronics.
CHIEF AUGUSTINO
It says, "laptops," in the paperwork.  And then he says, "No, I don't have laptops."  But, like, you have a form that's declaring laptops.  The individual did file a manifest export of multiple, uh, electronic items.  Do you believe him?
OFFICER GRIFFIN
I still wanna open the stuff up.
CHIEF AUGUSTINO
Yeah.  Could be all clothes and garbage, but that's what we're doing.
OFFICER GRIFFIN
Okay, so where's the other bag?
TRAVELER
On the plane.
CHIEF AUGUSTINO
It appears he has a lot of checked luggage, which is kind of a red flag.  So we're gonna go check out those bags and see if there's any contraband, inconsistencies, or items that are not declared properly.


OFFICER GOMBASH
Where are you headed today, man?
TRAVELER
Work.
OFFICER GOMBASH
Work?  Where do you work at?
TRAVELER
I'm a truck driver.
OFFICER GOMBASH
Truck driver?  Okay.  How long you been a truck driver for?
TRAVELER
Two and a half years.
OFFICER GOMBASH
Two and a half years?
TRAVELER
Yeah.
OFFICER GOMBASH
I'm part of the, uh, Mobile Enforcement Team, the MET.  And, uh, our job is to solely focus on drugs coming in.  Lately, we've been seeing a lot of cocaine and methamphetamines.  Anything to declare, man?
TRAVELER
No, sir.
OFFICER GOMBASH
Cash?
TRAVELER
Like, 20 bucks.
OFFICER GOMBASH
Drugs?
TRAVELER
No, none.
OFFICER GOMBASH
All right, I'm just gonna take a quick look in the back, okay?  So we'll rove pre-primary, start checking cars.  And once we see a car we like, we'll talk to them, get a feel for them as a person, how they're reacting to our questions.  All right, I appreciate it, man.  You have a good day.
TRAVELER
You too.
OFFICER
Hey, how are you doing?  Where are you headed to, man?
OFFICER GOMBASH
If their story doesn't add up or anything, we'll send it in, look through the car a little bit more and every once in a while, we get lucky.
OFFICER GOMBASH
[speaking Spanish] How much time in Mexico?
TRAVELER
[speaking Spanish] One month.
TRAVELER
Well, I've been coming over.
OFFICER GOMBASH
Okay.  All right, so you've been here for a month?  For your girlfriend?
TRAVELER
[speaking Spanish] Yes.
OFFICER GOMBASH
[speaking Spanish] Your girlfriend lives in El Paso?
TRAVELER
[speaking Spanish] Yes.
OFFICER GOMBASH
Okay.
OFFICER GOMBASH
[speaking Spanish] No money?
TRAVELER
No.
OFFICER GOMBASH
[speaking Spanish] Guns?
TRAVELER
No.
OFFICER GOMBASH
[speaking Spanish] Drugs?
TRAVELER
No.
OFFICER GOMBASH
Okay.  He's from out of state.  His story is a little odd.  All right, man.  We're just gonna go over here, okay?  So, um, we're gonna check him out a little bit further and see what's going on with him.  I was looking at his crossings.  He's been claiming that he's, uh, been here for a month, visiting his girlfriend.  Checking his crossings, it doesn't match his story at all.
OFFICER ON RADIO
Refer to secondary.
OFFICER GOMBASH
It's a little odd when they're not telling the truth.  And, uh, it draws your suspicion level up quite a bit.
OFFICER
Oh, what do we got here?  Looks like a bundle, right?
[COMMERCIAL BREAK]
OFFICER
What is it?

OFFICER
It looks like a bundle, but it's just a noise canceling foam that they use.  So it's okay.
OFFICER GOMBASH
Okay, just, uh, run our density meter over it.  See if any of the panels or doors are stuffed with anything.  Uh-oh.
OFFICER GOMBASH
The floor's spiking.
OFFICER
There's something there, huh?
OFFICER GOMBASH
All right, so, there was a higher reading on the floor in some parts of the floor, so bring it back to Z-portal.
OFFICER
The spare tire look good.  The tank look good.  The quarter panels look good.  He's clear.
OFFICER GOMBASH
All right, man.  You're good.
OFFICER GOMBASH
So with this guy, he showed signs of deception within his story and, uh, when you come through a national border, yes, we do have to be a little bit nosy to, to find out, uh, if you're good or not.  And, uh, he seemed all right.

CHIEF AUGUSTINO
Sir, right here is fine.
OFFICER
Here is fine?
CHIEF AUGUSTINO
Yup.  Everybody got gloves?

CHIEF AUGUSTINO
This is pretty heavy.  We've got some boxes.  We'll see what he's got here.
CHIEF AUGUSTINO
He matches a trend that we've seen where people are illegally exporting narcotics and electronics.
OFFICER
Yo.
CHIEF AUGUSTINO
What you got?
OFFICER
13 iPhones.
CHIEF AUGUSTINO
Are they new?
OFFICER
Looks like brand new.
OFFICER HUNDAL
I got one here that's new.
OFFICER VEGA
We got a LG Nokia cellphone.
OFFICER VEGA
And a Nokia X-100.
OFFICER HUNDAL
Apple watches in there.
CHIEF AUGUSTINO
And I got seven laptops and three tablets.  And that's clearly inconsistent with his story.  So the question is, why is he being untruthful?  So we're probably gonna detain this stuff.  We can stop looking, 'cause we're gonna take it back and finish in secondary, where we can kind of match up the manifest with all the stuff he has.  I'm gonna go up and break the news to him.  All right, you have a lot of electronics in those bags.  We're gonna go through what you have manifested and we're gonna compare it to what's in those bags.
TRAVELER
Okay.
CHIEF AUGUSTINO
'Cause I, I can tell you right now there's inconsistencies.


AGENT CONTRERAS
What we're doing here is conducting highway interdiction.  I just try to look for license plates on the vehicle to look for, uh, subjects inside the vehicle.  Any vehicle that might react to my presence here.
AGENT CONTRERAS
Smugglers from L.A. area, they come down to pick up humans, people that just crossed the, the international border fence.  And they do, sometimes they do this not even knowing that what they're doing is illegal.  The main smugglers, all they care is making a profit.  And by doing that, sometimes young, young people, people that they don't even know what they're doing, they come down here thinking, "Oh, we're just gonna pick up people and make some money."  When in reality, what they're doing is smuggling.
AGENT
All right, everybody start rolling.
AGENT CONTRERAS
We're gonna go after that one.  My partners right next to me, they saw on observation an indicator that got their attention to interdict the vehicle.
AGENT CONTRERAS
[speaking Spanish] Hello.  How are you?
TRAVELER
[speaking Spanish] Good.
AGENT CONTRERAS
[speaking Spanish] U.S. citizen?
TRAVELER
[speaking Spanish] No.  I'm not a U.S. citizen.
AGENT CONTRERAS
[speaking Spanish] Do you have your documents to be here legally?
TRAVELER
[speaking Spanish] Yes.
AGENT CONTRERAS
[speaking Spanish] What do you have?
TRAVELER
[speaking Spanish] I have them there.
AGENT CONTRERAS
[speaking Spanish] Whose car is it?
TRAVELER
[speaking Spanish] Mine.
AGENT CONTRERAS
[speaking Spanish] What do you do?
TRAVELER
[speaking Spanish] I'm an Uber driver.
AGENT CONTRERAS
[speaking Spanish] Uber?
AGENT CONTRERAS
[speaking Spanish] What were you doing over here?
TRAVELER
[speaking Spanish] I have two friends, but since my tire exploded.
TRAVELER
[speaking Spanish] Well, I came back.
AGENT CONTRERAS
[speaking Spanish] And what do you have in the trunk?
TRAVELER
[speaking Spanish] I'm bringing things.
AGENT CONTRERAS
This person is super nervous.  So we're gonna see if we can get, uh, a consent to, to perform a K-9 sniff in the car and see why he, why he's nervous.
AGENT CONTRERAS
[speaking Spanish] Is it ok with you if I walk the dog around?
TRAVELER
Yes, of course.
AGENT CONTRERAS
Good boy.  Good boy.  He's alerting to the vehicle.
[COMMERCIAL BREAK]
AGENT CONTRERAS
So we're just gonna find out why, what is the dog alerting to it.  Good boy.  Good boy, Papa.  Good boy.

AGENT CONTRERAS
Okay.
AGENT CONTRERAS
[speaking Spanish] The dog is alerting to the car.
AGENT CONTRERAS
[speaking Spanish] The dog is trained to find hidden people and drugs.
TRAVELER
[speaking Spanish] I don't have anything.
AGENT CONTRERAS
Okay.
AGENT CONTRERAS
He's claiming he's an Uber driver.  He went to pick up a friend and happened to get a flat tire.  I explained that what the dog is trained to detect.  He says that he doesn't do any drugs.  So we're just doing a quick inspection to see why the dog alerted.  There's no, uh, contraband.  There's no compartments in the vehicle.  After doing a quick 7-point of the vehicle, we didn't see anything that can tell us that the vehicle might be used to transport narcotics.
AGENT MORENO
He said that he came down at one in the morning, he left.
AGENT MORENO
And that he got here at 400 in the morning.  I asked him, out of curiosity, what he was doing in the area.  He said that, uh, he came down from L.A.
AGENT MORENO
He ended up getting a flat tire.  He said he was here to pick up some friends of his from Calexico, but he didn't know who his friends were or, or where they were at.  So, um, it's a little out of the ordinary to have somebody come down so far south, uh, and then just go back just after a flat tire.  Where are his friends?  What happened to his friends?  He may be here to either load people or narcotics up.  But he may be a gentleman who's just here for his days off, like he told me.  Obviously, there is no law that has been broken, so we're just gonna send him up the road and that'll be the end of this.
AGENT CONTRERAS
[speaking Spanish] You can go.  Have a good day.  May God bless you.
TRAVELER
[speaking Spanish] Thank you.

CHIEF AUGUSTINO
All right, this way.

CHIEF AUGUSTINO
We have over nine bags full to the gills with multiple electronic items.
CHIEF AUGUSTINO
If it turns out that he does not have the proper paperwork and this is un-manifested items, the items will be seized.
OFFICER
Put it on this one.
OFFICER
Tablets and laptops.
OFFICER
Quite a bit.  Quite a bit.
OFFICER HUNDAL
This is the second box that I opened.  Um, it has all cell phones.  It looks like they're all, uh, Apple here.
OFFICER
These look new.
OFFICER
They're new.
OFFICER
Yeah, these are new.
OFFICER
Yup.
OFFICER
Wow.
CHIEF AUGUSTINO
Eight hundred bucks each at least.  Or some of them are like fifteen hundred.
OFFICER VEGA
Wow, that's a lot of money right there, yup.
OFFICER
That's thousands and thousands of dollars.
CHIEF AUGUSTINO
It could be upwards of a hundred thousand dollars worth of merchandise here.
OFFICER GRIFFIN
We compared his manifest.  So, 20.  50.  And these are the rest.
CHIEF AUGUSTINO
Okay.
OFFICER GRIFFIN
He's good on his tablets and he's good on the laptops.
CHIEF AUGUSTINO
So, what?  He's 10 over?
OFFICER GRIFFIN
Yeah.
CHIEF AUGUSTINO
Or -ish?  Really?  He's got 90 phones, he's manifested 80.  He is off, so it justifies the fact that we brought him back here.  But because he did file the paperwork, it's not enough for us to make a big deal about it.  I appreciate your time and your cooperation on all this.  We're gonna help you repack and then we're gonna make an effort to get you another flight outta here.  Um.
TRAVELER
I mean, you guys are just doing your job.
CHIEF AUGUSTINO
Yeah, and, and we've had a lot of trouble with people exporting items that are un-manifested.  
TRAVELER
Yeah, makes sense.
CHIEF AUGUSTINO
We have to make decisions every day on travelers coming in and out of the United States.  Assuring that there is safety for our country is my number one concern.  The type of items he's exporting does match previous trends that we've seen.  But at the end of the day, he's gonna be okay to travel.
[SNAP-IN]

AGENT
So it looks like there might be a vehicle that some of the interdiction agents got eyes on, so we're gonna head over and see if we can provide some assistance.

AGENT
Let's see what we got.
AGENT
You drove three hours from L.A. and you'll drive three hours home.
AGENT
And you drove out here just to drive?
TRAVELER
Yeah, I was going home right now actually.
AGENT TAVERA
She drove from L.A. to Til and doesn't know anybody here, has no friends, nor relatives, nor anything like that.
AGENT TAVERA
And now you're heading, supposedly, back home for two hours?  Um, it just doesn't add up.
AGENT TAVERA
[speaking Spanish] It's strange that you traveled three hours to come down.
AGENT TAVERA
And then three hours to go back up.
TRAVELER
[speaking Spanish] But.
AGENT TAVERA
[speaking Spanish] It doesn't make any sense.  [speaking English] She just kept stuttering.  And her hands were shaking, you know, as she was drinking water.  So it's a huge indicator that she was here to pick up and smuggle in non-citizens.
AGENT TAVERA
[speaking Spanish] But what were you looking for?  Who were you coming to get?
TRAVELER
[speaking Spanish] No one.
TRAVELER
It's fine if you don't believe me.
AGENT TAVERA
[speaking Spanish] No, I believe you, it just doesn't make sense.
TRAVELER
[speaking Spanish] I was just going home now.
AGENT TAVERA
She probably either missed her mark, didn't pick up, or saw that we were really patrolling the area.  So she probably backed off.
AGENT
Here's your I.D.
AGENT TAVERA
Unfortunately, we didn't find anything.  So we let her be on her way.
END OF SNAP IN

OFFICER GOMBASH
No cash, weapons, drugs?
TRAVELER
Nothing.
OFFICER GOMBASH
Okay, man.  All right, man.  Have a good day.

OFFICER COOPER
Where are you headed to today?
TRAVELER
Hmm?
OFFICER COOPER
[speaking Spanish] Where you going?
TRAVELER
[speaking Spanish] To work.
OFFICER COOPER
Okay.
OFFICER COOPER
[speaking Spanish] Is this your vehicle?
TRAVELER
[speaking Spanish] Yes.
OFFICER COOPER
[speaking Spanish] Do you always cross in this car or different vehicles?
TRAVELER
[speaking Spanish] No, always this one.
OFFICER COOPER
[speaking Spanish] You're not bringing any guns?
TRAVELER
[speaking Spanish] No.
OFFICER COOPER
Okay.
OFFICER COOPER
[speaking Spanish] Can you open up?
OFFICER COOPER
That's not supposed to be there.  Hey, I think I got something in the backseat.  There's an anomaly behind the back passenger seat.  Yeah, it looks like a bundle.
OFFICER GOMBASH
10-4.  10-4.
OFFICER COOPER
All right, sir, can I go ahead and get your keys?  [speaking Spanish] Thank you.
OFFICER GOMBASH
So right now, it looks like some of the officers on our team saw indicators that it could be a loaded vehicle, pre-primary.  They're escorting the subject down right now in handcuffs.  And bringing it back to Z-portal, our X-ray machine, to see what more we can find.
CBP OFFICER
There we go.
OFFICER GOMBASH
The X-ray does show anomalies in the area that we suspect to be loaded.  We'll go back to our Area 51, tear the vehicle apart, see how much we have, and what we have, and [inaudible]
[COMMERCIAL BREAK]

OFFICER GOMBASH
We got one right here.
CBP OFFICER
Take it out, keep going.
CBP OFFICER
Hey.
CBP OFFICER
Vega!
CBP OFFICER
Oh, yeah.  It's lit, dude.
OFFICER COOPER
Right now, it looks like there's a, there's gonna be some stuff in the seat and then here in the trunk.
CBP OFFICER
Hey, we got another compartment too.  I don't know if it's loaded or not, but it, I was trying to peel it all back but I can't get into it.
OFFICER GOMBASH
Right now, it looks like we're seeing a aftermarket compartment within the trunk.  The caulking on it, it, it just stands out, it doesn't look factory.  It looks like almost like Play-Doh is plastered on there.  Fortunate for us because it's easier to spot.
CBP OFFICER
Here, just let me pull it.
CBP OFFICER
Oh, yeah.  [inaudible]
CBP OFFICER
You got a bundle?
CBP OFFICER
It's gonna be all over the bottom.
CBP OFFICER
Yeah.
CBP OFFICER
Go in and get it.
CBP OFFICER
Take that bumper off.
CBP OFFICER
It's empty?  Yeah, it's empty.
OFFICER COOPER
So, I'm just gonna take out one of them to take a sample out, just to test it.

AGENT STEPHENSON
We just got a report of a possible smuggling vehicle.  It's a blue, older model Trailblazer, so I'm pulled over right now and I'm watching to see if it comes up here.

AGENT STEPHENSON
There's a road here, it leads down to the border.
AGENT STEPHENSON
And so, somebody could go down there, be down there for just a few minutes and then come back out.  It's very indicative of migrant smuggling.  And so, it could be worth doing a vehicle stop.  Here it comes right now.  That's it right there.  There's an agent behind it.  Another agent, he's gonna do a vehicle stop on it and we'll back him up.  Is it good?
AGENT
Yeah, he's good.
AGENT
Yeah, he's under a blanket right here.
AGENT STEPHENSON
Okay.
AGENT
[speaking Spanish] Good morning, folks.
AGENT STEPHENSON
So, we have the driver and we have two migrants he was smuggling.  He's advising this driver that he's placing him under arrest.  Sometimes we find migrants in the trunk of vehicles and it could be a hundred degrees out.  And that really just highlights how little these criminal organizations care about the migrants they're smuggling.  And they really are just a commodity.  Unfortunately, there's been instances where they have not made it and we've had dead bodies in the back of vehicles and trunks.
AGENT
Go on in.  Watch your head.
SUSPECT
[speaking Spanish] All her family is in the United States, her mom and her sisters.
SUSPECT
[speaking Spanish] Previously, I tried through asylum, but it didn't work out.
SUSPECT
[speaking Spanish] So this time I tried here, but it didn't work out either.
AGENT STEPHENSON
Find anything?
AGENT
Nothing in here.
AGENT STEPHENSON
People have always wanted to come to America.  I don't think that's a new thing.  I think what's changed is some of the circumstances you've seen in other countries around the world.  You have a lot more people that are fleeing significant poverty, natural disasters, oppressive governments.
AGENT
[speaking Spanish] Grab your backpack, please.
SUSPECT
Okay.
AGENT
[speaking Spanish] We're gonna walk to that vehicle.
AGENT STEPHENSON
For CBP, our message is always the same, don't cross the border illegally, don't trust the smugglers, don't put your life in danger, do things the right way.  And we encourage people to do that and not to put their lives in danger by trusting smugglers.

OFFICER
Let's see what we got.

CHIEF AUGUSTINO
Being such a small team, we kinda need to be all over the place.
CHIEF AUGUSTINO
So my A-TCET team is back outside checking packages going outbound.
OFFICER SANDERS
This one here is manifested as, like, a toy.  We usually check a lot of those, 'cause a lot of times we'll see it in the toys.
CHIEF AUGUSTINO
We've seen a big uptick in ketamine and more serious narcotics going outbound in packages.  We're also seeing a lot of cocaine going outside to Europe and other places where Europe connects to.
OFFICER SANDERS
Yeah, I think we'll run this one.
OFFICER
Well, this here is coming from Los Angeles, California going to Belgium.  It's marked as some bed sheets.  We'll definitely take a look at this one.  Another one from L.A.  Same thing, new bed sheets, from a different, a different person in, in California.  But it's going to Belgium.  It's not too often you get two of the same boxes from different people with bed sheets in them.  I'll take this one.  Grab one of those.  All right.  How are we looking on that one?
OFFICER SANDERS
Looks good.
OFFICER
All right.  Let's try these bed sheets here.
CHIEF AUGUSTINO
Well, maybe you wanna pop that one.
OFFICER SANDERS
We're gonna open that one.
OFFICER
All right.
OFFICER SANDERS
Looks identical.
CHIEF AUGUSTINO
We are seeing anomalies in these packages, so we're gonna pop them open and make sure it-it is what it's supposed to be.
OFFICER
A double box.
OFFICER SANDERS
It's a box within a box.  A vacuum seal.
OFFICER
Not bed sheets.  It's gonna be the same vacuum sealed bags as the other one.
OFFICER SANDERS
There you go.
OFFICER SANDERS
Marijuana.
[COMMERCIAL BREAK]
OFFICER SANDERS
This is Biscotti Mints.
OFFICER
This one is called MAC.
OFFICER SANDERS
We're gonna test it just to make sure.

OFFICER SANDERS
You get a strong odor as soon as you open the package.  It doesn't take much.  If it is positive for marijuana, it will turn this purple color here.  See?  It's already turning purple.  It's positive for marijuana.
OFFICER
That one lit up right away.  That's a real strong product.  So we're gonna take this back to the A-TCET office.  Then we'll start the seizure process on it.  All right.  Let's see what we got here.  2.6 keys (5 pounds).  2.6 keys (5 pounds).
OFFICER
Between the two shipments, over in Belgium, you're looking at around twenty-five thousand dollars.
CHIEF AUGUSTINO
Over the past two years, the United States has actually become a source country for marijuana.  The price difference between here and over in Europe funds a lot of other transnational criminal organizations.  They're using this marijuana to launder money, to fund other criminal activities.
CHIEF AUGUSTINO
So at face value, it doesn't look like it's such a big deal, but the criminal organizations that it's supporting is actually the main story behind us doing the seizures.
CBP OFFICER
Put these in some seizure bags.
OFFICER
We're gonna get a hold of HSI.  They're going to try and get a hold of the dispensary, find information on the export, and they'll take over from there.
CHIEF AUGUSTINO
Being such a small team, we get a chance to see a little bit of everything.  And I actually like it that way.  I definitely get my steps in for the day.


OFFICER GOMBASH
Right now, Officer Cooper, he's gonna test the substance that was found in the vehicle.
OFFICER GOMBASH
We take safety precautions with a lot of fentanyl coming through right now.  Fentanyl is extremely dangerous.
OFFICER COOPER
A lot of times, they're getting creative with how they wrap the packages.
OFFICER COOPER
Sometimes they'll line it with different chemicals, vacuum seal it just to try to hide the smell so that our K-9s don't alert to it.  It's hardened.  It's crystal.  And that normally is the characteristics that go along with meth.  But we're still gonna test it just to be sure.  All right.  And it's positive for meth.
CBP OFFICER
Let's put this on the scale and see how much we have.
OFFICER COOPER
Here we go.
OFFICER COOPER
So we've got 9.52 kilos (20 pounds).
OFFICER GOMBASH
Luckily, Officer Cooper here, my teammate, encountered this guy while I was on the other side of the bridge.

OFFICER GOMBASH
And he was loaded.  So it is a really good feeling that you were correct on your-your instincts.
OFFICER COOPER
It's very important to me, just because I've seen what it can do to families.  And that's why I strived to get on this team specifically.  Because instead of waiting for this stuff to come to us, we actually go get it.  We all take pride in that.