Buffalo, N.Y. - In support of Customs and Border Protection’s national media and outreach efforts to promote the transition into full WHTI compliance, fiscal year 2009 proved to be a busy year for the Buffalo Field Office, which encompasses all 17 international land border crossings in the state of New York, from Buffalo to Champlain.

James T. Engleman, director of Field Operations for the Buffalo Field Office advised that CBP officers processed approximately 21.3 million passengers, 8.2 million autos, 1.4 million trucks and 41,660 buses. Major facility improvements at the Peace Bridge, and reconstruction of the Ports of Champlain and Massena helped to efficiently process and facilitate the flow of travelers and trade within the Buffalo Field Office.

CBP enforcement actions remained steady throughout fiscal year 2009. Officers arrested 212 fugitives, wanted for crimes including kidnapping, negligent homicide, dangerous drugs and mortgage fraud. Two of these apprehensions included the arrest of an individual wanted by INTERPOL for fraud, and the arrest of a subject of an active warrant who was wanted for kidnapping and the recovery of the kidnapping victim.

CBP’s Buffalo Field Office reported the following accomplishments for FY 2009, which started on October 1, 2008 and ended September 30, 2009:

        • Over 19,000 apprehensions of inadmissible travelers. Foreign nationals applying for admission to the United States can be found inadmissible for several reasons, including overstaying previous visits, using fraudulent documents, intending to immigrate illegally or being convicted of committing crimes involving moral turpitude.
        • Forty-two fraudulent documents were seized.
        • More than 75 travelers were intercepted while making a false claim to United States citizenship.
        • CBP officers prevented the entry of 15 foreign nationals who were identified as potential threats to national security.
        • CBP officers effected over 242 arrests of arriving passengers who attempted to smuggle contraband into the United States.
        • CBP officers seized 1,231 pounds of hydroponic marijuana.
        • CBP officers seized 118 pounds of ecstasy (approximately 204,000 pills) and seized a combined total of $1.4 million in undeclared currency entering and exiting the United States.
        • CBP officers and import specialists discovered and processed 14 Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) seizures involving counterfeit goods valued at $711,112.
        • CBP agriculture specialists made over 2,500 pest interceptions, an increase of 17 percent over fiscal year 2008.

Specific case examples include:
        • CBP officers seized three undeclared live pigeons that were found in a traveler’s luggage.
        • The seizure of 43,329 ecstasy pills discovered in the roof liner of a truck after an anomaly was discovered during an X-ray inspection of the truck.
        • The seizure of 1,600 cases (115,167 pieces) of counterfeit Vaseline with an appraised domestic value of $48,200 and a Manufactured Suggested Retail Price value of $286,811.

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 the official ports of entry. CBP is charged with keeping terrorists and terrorist weapons out of the country while enforcing hundreds of U.S. laws.