U.S. Customs and Border Protection

Elephant Meat, Dead Monkey Seized at LAX (PHOTOS)

People must think L.A. is a crazy place, because they're trying to send us (or smuggle in) some strange and, authorities say, illicit things. And we're not just talking about Octomom's fan mail, either. No, in the span of less than a week this month federal customs officials say they seized elephan ... More >>

Jose Renderos: $45 Million Fake Credit Card Ring Sees Indictment For Eastside Suspect

Wouldn't you just love to have a virtually unlimited supply of credit cards that could rack up $45 million in charges? Us too. The problem for 38-year-old Eastsider Jose Rolando Renderos his accomplices was that the cards were fake and the charges were fraudulent, according to a U.S. federal grand ... More >>

Christopher Dorner: U.S. Drones Used In Manhunt?

Drones have reportedly been enlisted in the search for Christopher Dorner in Big Bear, a possible first for unmanned vehicles in a domestic manhunt. That's what was being reported today by the British Sunday Express newspaper, which quotes an unnamed law enforcement source who says: "The thermal im ... More >>

Rubber Duckies For Holidays Seized At L.A. Port; Bad Chemical Detected

The Grinches at U.S. Customs and Border Protection just stole Christmas from all those kids just waiting for their .99 cent Chinese rubber duckies to be unveiled on the morning of December 25. Well, to be fair, in announcing that it has seized a whopping 35,712 of the bathtub toys, which appear to ... More >>

Teen Girl Caught Near Border With $35,000 Worth Of Meth, Say Feds

Kids these days, you say. They're so advanced with their iPads and texting and ... meth smuggling. Yeah, so says U.S. Customs and Border Protection, which alleges that a 15-year-old girl was caught near the Mexican border in Southern California with $35,000 worth of methamphetamine strapped to her. ... More >>

Yongda Huang Harris: Smoke Grenade, Hatchet, Body Bags Brought to LAX?

What the hell was this guy up to? Federal authorities today said Yongda Huang Harris, a 28-year-old American who worked in Japan, was caught at LAX last week with -- and we quote -- "a pyrotechnic smoke grenade, three leather-coated billy clubs, a collapsible baton, a full-face respirator, various ... More >>

How to Spot Fake Christian Louboutin Shoes

How can you tell if a pair of Christian Louboutin shoes is fake? Well, if you're paying $200 for a pair of $1,500 pumps, that might be a clue. Agents from U.S. Customs and Border Protection, not exactly a high-fashion bunch, had no problem picking out these red-soled illegal immigrants for further ... More >>

Meth Candy Bars Seized at LAX; Rogelio Mauricio Harris Arrested

Updated at the bottom with details, including the possibility the suspect was a former military cop. First posted at 2:06 p.m. Kids, we know you're hooked on the energy drinks. But have you ever tried a meth bar? Just wait. U.S. Customs and Border Protection announced today that one Rogelio Mauri ... More >>

Handbags of Ostrich, Crocodile, Elephant Skin Seized at LAX

Kate Spade. Chanel. Hermes. Girls got to have their four-figure designer handbags these days. But ostrich, stingray, crocodile and elephant skin purses? Maybe some ladies are taking the high-end handbag trend a little too far. U.S. Customs and Border Protection said today that they have seized sev ... More >>

Meth Drug Possibly Worth Millions Nabbed at LAX: It Was Headed to Mexico From China

We joke that meth is really just crack for rednecks. But that's an old stereotype. The truth is that the methamphetamine business has been taken over by Mexican cartels, which have shaped it into a massive, international phenomenon. Sort of like what Starbucks did for coffee. It's no longer a home- ... More >>

Stolen Ferrari, Mercedes, BMW Headed For Asia Seized at Port of L.A: PHOTOS

A Gone In 60 Seconds-style stolen car ring saw a shipment to Asia disrupted by federal authorities, who seized a near-new Ferrari and other vehicles, U.S. Customs and Border Protection announced today. The 20-car haul at the port of Los Angeles/Long Beach was worth $1.5 million, according to a CBP ... More >>

Fishing Boat With 20 Illegals Lands in El Segundo

If you plan on coming to America in a small "panga" boat, try to land in Venice. Stinking wet with ragged clothes on, people will assume you belong. Unfortunately for this group of 20 suspected illegals, likely from Mexico, their boat came ashore along a wide-open stretch of beach in El Segundo. Yo ... More >>

Cocaine Bricks Worth A Half-Million-Plus Discovered at L.A. Port

Twenty bricks of cocaine worth $585,000 was found during a routine inspection at the port of Los Angeles this week, authorities said. U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers picked a container randomly and, when a drug-sniffing dog alerted, discovered the bricks, which weighed 64 pounds, accord ... More >>

Marijuana for the Taking (and the Toking) Found Floating in Ocean off Marina Del Rey

Yes, there is a god, said the surfer. Free marijuana floating in the ocean was just there for the taking. Unfortunately, Sheriff's deputies got to it before any of the guys at Venice Pier could. Damn it:

More Than 10,000 Fake Football Jerseys Seized at LAX Since Start of NFL Season

Did you buy your 49ers jersey on the street for around $40, instead of $80? Then you probably fed into the thriving counterfeit-jersey black market, which thrives ever harder as the NFL season heats up, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection spokesman Jaime Ruiz. At LAX alone, Ruiz says, ... More >>

Korean Man Tries to Carry 63 Pounds of Erectile-Dysfunction Drug Onto LAX Flight

Updated at the bottom with naughty pics of Korean man's suitcase. Originally posted at 10:35 a.m. Exactly one week ago, Customs officers at LAX made the giggle-bust of a lifetime: They discovered 63 pounds of tadalafil, the generic form of erectile-dysfunction drug Cialis, in one idiot's carryon.

Jose Miguel Ramirez Jailed After Tracking App on Stolen Laptop Reveals His Facebook Page, Cops Say

​November has brought us two stories of stolen laptops that were recovered with the help of tracking software. Looks like hot computers are the "it" gift for the recessionista. Read all about the guy who was allegedly caught red-handed, with screenshots of his face as he used a USC student's ... More >>

15,000 Faux 'Paul Frank' Pirate Pajamas Seized at L.A. Port (Could Have Fooled Us)

U.S. Customs and Border ProtectionJulius just got a little uglier.​They must really be hurting for new things to counterfeit in Indonesia these days. U.S. Customs and Border Patrol officers at the Los Angeles/Long Beach port just intercepted a 20-foot terminal container filled with -- get rea ... More >>

[Updated] Cars, Pedestrians Crossing Mexico-U.S. Border Stuck in Tijuana After Scaffolding Collapse

ReutersThe hellish line to San Ysidro just got worse.​Update: The wait time at the Otay crossing into the U.S. is over two hours, both in car and on foot. The southbound lanes into Tijuana have been re-opened, but border officials Tweet that they will not be "processing pedestrians or vehicles ... More >>

Marijuana Nestled in Hot Sauce Shipment Gets Nabbed at California Border: $1.4 Million Worth of Spicy Weed Seized

Not the actual hot sauce in question.​They say salsa is the number one condiment in the United States. Marijuana is often believed to be California's biggest cash crop. Put them together and what do you have? No, not a Cypress Hill house party. You have an all-American drug bust, according ... More >>

GHB Date-Rape Drug Chemical Seized at LAX: Ravers Bummed

Say no to G.​Three gallons of a precursor to the date-rape and rave drug GHB were seized at LAX, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials announced today. If you know anything about this stuff, a "cap" full will do, and three gallons would be enough to "date rape" just about the entire po ... More >>

Illegal Immigrant Suspects Land on Santa Cruz Island, Call 911 in Bid to Return Home

Santa Cruz Island: Es un mirage.​Gosh. Imagine the disappointment. America! We made it. Wait, no. It's just a deserted island. No Lindsay Lohan. Not even a car wash. That was the case over the weekend when 15 suspected illegals landed on Santa Cruz Island, one of the famed Channel Islands o ... More >>

NSFW Photo: Man Caught Smuggling 159 Pounds of Iguana Meat, Covered in Fish, Across Mexican Border

www.jagendorf.comThe one that got away​And here we thought Tupac's alleged shooter was the man of the hour (closely trailed by a way-too-stoked John Edwards). Nope! The anonymous U.S. citizen trying to cross over from Mexico with 167 pounds of Iguana meat in tow on June 7 wins top blogroll hon ... More >>

Cocaine-Soaked Rope Didn't Fool Feds at LAX, They Say: Suspects Jonathan Cottrell and Leanthony Henderson Arrested

Yay.​Ah, great smuggling attempts through history. The classic surfboard de coca. The plaster snowman. And, now, coke-on-a-rope. That's right. Start your banjos. Because the pair of suspects is from Arkansas, a place, maybe, that would inspire one to dream that one day you could smuggle coc ... More >>

Rodney King Beating: 20 Years Later, Here Are 5 More Violent California Cops Caught on Video

Before there were cell phones​Today's the 20th anniversary of L.A.'s infamous brush with rock bottom: The 1991 brutal police beating of Rodney King, an act of unabashed racism by a group of four white LAPD officers whose 1992 "not guilty" verdicts gave way to the devastating L.A. riots. As th ... More >>

WTF: Teens Allegedly Smuggle Marijuana Into California -- Where It's Legal!

Breaking news: Weed is available in California, legally.​Maybe these kids don't read. This is like bringing sand to the beach, offering up a joint at Charlie Sheen's house, or throwing a dollar bill into one of the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills' fireplace. It's simply uncalled for. In toda ... More >>

Opium, 8 Pounds Worth, Found on LAX Passenger Arriving From Amsterdam, Authorities Allege

What happened to good ole' fashioned American heroin, anyway?​Hmm. Coming from Amsterdam, eh? Maybe we better take a closer look at those suitcases. That was the case at LAX, and authorities said they busted a 28-year-old U.S. citizen returning from the Dutch city. They allege he had nearly 9 ... More >>

Top 10 U.S. Customs Seizures Of 2010, Including $9 Million Train-Load Of Pot In California

U.S. Customs and Border ProtectionDamn leafhopping aliens resorted to pineapple transit in August​Jumping at another chance to flex some red-white-and-blue muscle this New Year -- and surely aware of the Internet's obsession with Top 10 lists -- U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials rel ... More >>

Miami Man Tries To Smuggle 14 Pounds Of Colombian Cocaine Through LAX In Candy Easter Eggs

Easter came early for ICE officials last Thursday​Esteban Galtes, the 23-year-old Miami resident due in L.A. federal court today for smuggling blow, could have at least waited until springtime to disguise his stash in little pastel candies shaped like Easter eggs. When asked why he was carryi ... More >>

Grass Reindeer Figures Seized At LAX (No, They're Not Made Of That Kind Of Grass)

CPBDo these belong under a tree, or maybe in a bong?​You know it wouldn't be the holidaze without some seriously grinchy stories coming at ya. Yesterday we told you how L.A. city officials and police cracked down on fake designer crap (and DVDs) your mom buys. Now comes word that the crack, h ... More >>

21 Million Contraband Plastic Bags From China Seized At Los Angeles/Long Beach Seaport

Have a nice day in fiery plastic-bag hell, suckers​Who would cough up a 77 percent tax just to ship $450,000 in cheap-o "Have a Nice Day" plastic bags? Definitely not China. An attempt at skirting the anti-dumping tax by an overseas plastic-bag company was intercepted yesterday by U.S. Custom ... More >>

(PHOTOS) L.A. Man Hides Illegal Alien In Back Of Truck, Under Buckets Cut To Shape Of Body

More effective when not cut to shape of body​At first, when they glanced at the truck bed of a 31-year-old L.A. resident yesterday, all U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at the Tijuana-California border could see was a bunch of buckets, filled with tools and painting equipment. Littl ... More >>

The Feds Bury Border Patrol Abuses of Immigrants, But What's Been Unearthed Reveals a Culture of Cruelty

Grinding Justice

Operation Streamline Costs Millions, Tramples the Constitution, Treats Migrants Like Cattle, and Doesn't Work

U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder In L.A. To Make Announcement About Marijuana Legalization; He'll Be Joined By Pot Foes

Will Eric Holder denounce Prop. 19?​U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder is scheduled to be in town Friday to make an announcement about California's marijuana-legalization effort. We're not expecting it to be an endorsement. Here's why: Standing with him will be Prop. 19 opponents Sheriff Lee B ... More >>

1,200 National Guard Troops Heading To The U.S.-Mexico Border

The border at Imperial Beach, Calif.​The Obama administration on Tuesday pledged to put 1,200 National Guard troops at the U.S.-Mexico border in response to a request by an Arizona congresswoman who complained about an influx of illegal Mexican immigrants. U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, a Tucs ... More >>

'Tis The Season For Cheap (Fake) Sunglasses In L.A.

​Notice a lot of high-end Italian sunglasses out there perched nicely on the noggins of people who don't have the rest of the couture ensemble to match? Us too. Let us be so presumptuous to suggest that at least some of these designer light-ray filters are ... fake. A U.S. Customs and Border ... More >>

Breaking News: Restaurant's Owner, Sushi Chef Charged In Whale Meat Scandal

​Federal charges were filed Wednesday against a Santa Monica restaurant and its sushi chef for allegedly serving sei whale, an endangered species projected under the U.S. Marine Mammal Protection Act, the U.S. Attorney's office announced. The criminal complaint charges the The Hump's parent c ... More >>

Illegal Barbies Stopped In San Diego

MattelTeresa, the Latina Barbie.​U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials announced on Thursday they seized 600 illegal Barbie dolls worth nearly $24,000 dollars. It wasn't clear if the undocumented Barbies were from Mexico, so hold off on the illegal bashing. (Besides, Mexican Barbies a ... More >>

All Your Bong Are Belong To U.S.

U.S. Customs and Border ProtectionLet me see that bong ba-bong bong bong.​The man cannot be fooled: U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach announced Thursday they seized a bong-load of paraphernalia that was shipped to the U.S. from China disgui ... More >>

1974 Called: It Wants Its Magic Bus Back

U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials announced that they just recovered a Volkswagen van that had been reported stolen in 1974. The 1965 Bus was found in at the Los Angeles/Long Beach ports, in a shipping container bound for the Netherlands, Customs authorities said. They ran the van's vehi ... More >>

Sea Cucumbers Seized by Customs Agents

Maybe U.S. Customs agents don't frequent Chung King or Bu San or Chang's Garden for the purpose of ordering sea cucumber quite as much as some restaurant critics do. If they did, perhaps they may have been more understanding on Sunday, when agents seized 300 pounds of the cucumbers, a delicacy on m ... More >>

Swine Flu Notes: Where's the Pork?

We're one week into L.A.'s chapter of the swine flu pandemic/panic and already people are asking, "Where's the pork?" Raised on bio-disaster movies and braced for the worst upon hearing of Mexico's initial death toll, Angelenos were expecting (not, I should stress, hoping) to see bodies in the stree ... More >>

Secure Borders? Try Fenced In

With $860 million spending sprees, high-tech surveillance towers that don't work and Operation Streamline show trials, it's still the same old catch-and-release game

¡Viva Border Volleyball!

No changing sides allowed

6 Reasons Why November 2 Wasn't a Total Gay Political Nightmare

Who’ll Stop the Rain?

Dead Men Walking

Border crossings gone very, very wrong

On the Border of Hypocrisy

The unintended consequences of getting tough on illegal immigration

Raves on the Run

Feds jack up sentences, enforcement against Ecstasy