Officials share border tales

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) - They've heard and seen it all.

Each and every day, Border Crossing officials are confronted with the bizarre, the sad, and the downright dangerous.

The officials are now sharing some of their border tales.

Seven million cars and trucks and 16 million people enter the United States through the Buffalo area's four border crossings every year.

Lev Kubiak (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) said, "So Rob, this is like the frontline of defense if you will. The officers that are here for Customs and Border Protection are working to identify any criminal activity that may occur."

Officers have less than a minute to use their instincts and decide who gets through and who goes inside for more questioning.

Custom and Border Protection Director of Field Operations James Engleman said, "Our primary mission is to prevent terrorists and weapons of terrorism from entering the United States."

They're also looking for illegal aliens, drugs, harmful pests, and other banned items.

Since 9/11, Custom and Border Protection officers have a lot of new tools and technology at their disposal. You won't believe what some people try to smuggle into the States.

Every lane has a license plate reader and radiation portal monitor which detects dirty bombs and nuclear devices.

Some trucks are x-rayed by the Vehicle and Cargo Inspection System, which uses gamma imaging technology.

In March 2006, the machine at the Peace Bridge took a picture of a man and woman from Guyana hiding among Styrofoam containers.

Engleman said, "You never know when you have the next car, truck, bus, box, bag, who or what is going to come out of it."

Last month, a man was caught at the Lewiston-Queenston Bridge with 42 bottles of ketamine, a date rape drug.

He told officers it was Holy Water.

Another guy tried to sneak poisonous snakes into the United States.

Engleman said, "His wife and children were also in the car with these bags of venomous snakes."

All of the items were also seized at the border.

Ann Marie Paul (Assistant Port Director, Trade) said, "There's potential pests and diseases that could be carried unintentionally into the United States."

It's the CBP's role to keep out goods that could possibly damage a segment of the U.S. economy, like the citrus crop.

CBP Agriculture specialist Mary Braswell said, "Many fruits harbor insects, pathogens, you can see some of the possible pathogens on some of these fruits."

Banning citrus fruit may surprise you, but keeping out products like these won't.

The beef products could potentially carry Mad Cow disease.

An energy drink made of regurgitated bird saliva can also make you sick.

Braswell said, "...supposed to be nutritious, however it can harbor the Avian Flu."