United States v. Jose Molina-Tarazon

KOZINSKI, Circuit Judge.

Looking for contraband, customs agents removed and dismantled Jose Molina-Tar-azon’s fuel tank. We consider whether this procedure is a “routine” border search for which no suspicion whatsoever is required.

I

At approximately 3:30 one early morning, Molina entered the United States from Mexico driving a pickup truck. Molina was directed to secondary, where Customs Inspector Kevin Brown ordered a narcotics-trained dog to sniff the truck. When the dog failed to alert, Brown inspected the truck’s undercarriage with an *712autocreeper.1 Brown then turned his attention on the gas…