DOUGLAS, Ariz - U.S. Customs and Border Protection Officers at the Douglas Port of Entry stopped two attempts at smuggling large quantities of marijuana into the country on Monday, seizing 269 pounds of the drug and arresting two people from Mexico in connection with the failed smuggling attempts.

At a little before 2:00 pm, CBP officers screening visitors entering the United States became suspicious of a 55-year-old woman driving a 1993 Ford Explorer after detecting anomalies in the spare tire of the vehicle during a cursory exam. The driver and vehicle were sent for a thorough inspection where, after a drug dog alerted the officers to narcotic odor, officers found 108 packages of marijuana hidden inside all of the vehicle tires. The woman, a Mexican citizen from Agua Prieta, was arrested and the marijuana (144 pounds) was seized along with the vehicle.

A few hours later, at around 4:30, additional CBP officers performing similar screening of visitors coming to the U.S. became suspicious of a 19-year-old man driving a 1997 Ford Expedition when they noticed problems with the gas tank. This vehicle was also sent for a thorough inspection. Another drug dog alerted officers to the presence of narcotics odor, prompting them to remove the gas tank. During the inspection, the officers found several metal boxes filled with marijuana inside the gas tank. The driver, a Mexican citizen from Agua Prieta, was arrested and the drugs (125 pounds) were seized along with the vehicle.

Since the beginning of the new fiscal year, which began on October 1st, CBP officers at the Douglas port of entry have stopped 78 attempts to smuggle marijuana into the United States, seizing almost 8,200 pounds of the illicit drug.

The Office of Field Operations is responsible for operations 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, and protecting the nation's food supply and agriculture industry from pests and diseases.