U.S. CBP officers detail efforts to stop threats in Calexico
CALEXICO, Calif. (KYMA) - U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers said their work at ports of entry goes beyond inspecting vehicles and cargo.
From narcotics and human smuggling to counterfeit goods and agricultural threats, officers are working to prevent illegal and potentially dangerous items from entering the country.
During an exclusive tour of port operations, officers demonstrated some of the inspection methods used to identify suspicious vehicles and shipments, including commercial trucks.
Sidney K. Aki explained that CBP officers use specialized equipments and trained canines to alert for potental threats.
Threats include narcotics, smuggling, and human trafficking. Agricultural products carrying potentially harmful pests or diseases, and counterfeit merchandise are also among the concerns.
These tools include density meters that help identify unusual areas inside vehicle panels and cargo, as well as inspection scopes used to examine hard-to-reach space
"Once we do identify these threats, we take individuals in custody and further the investigation. And how we do that is through a collaborative approach," Aki told News 11 in an interview.
"Our Homeland Security Task Force, which is a combination of all federal, state, and local from HSI, DEA, FBI, state and local police sheriffs and police departments all working together in investigating, interviewing, identifying leads and associates with regards to how we combat these threats coming into our country," he explained.
Threats include narcotics, smuggling, and human trafficking. Agricultural products carrying potentially harmful pests or diseases, and counterfeit merchandise are also among the concerns.
On October 22, a large shipment 866 pounds of liquid methamphetamine was discovered in a truck trying to enter through the Calexico East Port of Entry.
"The truck, it arrived with an empty trailer with the intention of coming to the United States, probably pick up a, a load from the US and bring it back. During the primary interview, officers identified the need for this truck to go secondary for a further examination," Aki remarked.
Aki said one of the tanks had fuel in it, but the other one showed something different.
The driver, a U.S. citizen, is now facing charges of alleged narcotics smuggling.
Funding has also played a role in expanding border security efforts. Aki credited the One Big Beautiful Bill with providing more resources for infrastructure, technology and personnel.
"The One Big Beautiful Bill did provide us a huge amount of funding with regards to border security. And we can see that right now with regards to a lot of individuals in the previous years past," Aki explained.
Aki pointed to a sharp decline in nationwide border encounters, citing approximately 2.1 million encounters in fiscal year 2024 compared with a little more than 400,000 in fiscal year 2025. That's a decrease of roughly 80%.
For officers working at the ports of entry, the goal is to identify threats before they make their way into American communities.
