Court Opinion

ID: 9450810
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-04 16:58:09.089203+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:32:27.617038
License: Public Domain

JERTBERG, Circuit Judge
(concurring).
I concur in the result reached in the majority opinion.
Section 1357, Title 8 U.S.C., provides in pertinent part that any officer or employee of the Immigration Service has the power, without warrant—
“(1) to interrogate any alien or person believed to be an alien as to his right to be or to remain in the United States; * * *;
“(3) within a reasonable distance from any external boundary of the United States, to board and search for aliens * * * any * * * vehicle, * *
It was under such authority that the appellant and his passenger, Felix, were stopped and interrogated by the immigation inspectors. See Fernandez v. United States, 321 F.2d 283 (9th Cir., 1963). During the interrogation by the inspector of Felix concerning his status in the United States, Felix voluntarily handed to the immigration inspector a small notebook in which, among other things, was a small package which contained a powdery substance which Felix stated was heroin. In my view such facts constituted probable cause for the inspector to search the person of Felix. Such search revealed in Felix’s pocket a cigarette box containing a powdery substance which was later identified as heroin. Such search was reasonable and based upon probable cause. In these circumstances the District Judge properly overruled appellant’s objections to the introduction into evidence of the heroin obtained from Felix.