Joint CBP, ICE Inspection Nets Cruise Ship Heroin, Cocaine
CBP K-9 Sniffs out Nearly $100k in Dangerous Drugs on Enchantment of the Seas
BALTIMORE (Jan. 11, 2011)–A U.S. Customs and Border Protection K-9, during a joint CBP and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations inspection, discovered more than two pounds of cocaine and heroin stored in a locker aboard the cruise ship Enchantment of the Seas in Baltimore on Saturday.
Bak, a narcotics detector dog, sniffed out two packages of heroin that weighed a combined 1 pound, 8 ounces and a third package that contained more than 14 ounces of cocaine. Combined street value is estimated at about $94,000.
The narcotics were discovered in an equipment locker. No arrests were made.
“The recent drug arrests of cruise ship crewmen illustrate the measures nefarious narcotics networks will take to transport their deadly poison into the United States,” said CBP Baltimore Port Director Ricardo Scheller. “International passenger vessels are a prime target of opportunity. CBP remains committed to working with ICE and our other law enforcement partners to sniff out potential narcotics highways and to keep Americans safe.”
CBP routinely conducts K-9 enforcement inspections aboard passenger cruise ships as one deterrent to narcotics smuggling.
“CBP continues to work with cruise line security officers to implement security measures and to help identify high-risk crewmen and passengers,” Scheller said.
CBP identifies high-risk passengers and crewman similarly to how the agency identifies high-risk international airline passengers and crew. CBP conducts arrivals inspections of all landed citizens and non-citizens arriving from international destinations to enforce customs, immigration and agriculture laws.
Sometimes CBP discovers a passenger with an outstanding arrest warrant or who possesses illegal narcotics.
On Sunday, CBP officers fined a cruise ship Carnival Pride passenger a $500 Zero Tolerance penalty for possessing marijuana. The passenger paid the fine and was released.