On September 19, 2012, singer Fiona Apple was arrested at the U.S. Border Patrol checkpoint outside Sierra Blanca, Texas, after agents found hashish and a small amount of marijuana on her tour bus, and she spent the night in the Hudspeth County Jail. She joined a list of famous names caught at the same stop on Interstate 10, including Willie Nelson in 2010 and Armie Hammer and Snoop Dogg in 2011 and 2012, which earned it the nickname “the checkpoint to the stars.”
What Happened
Apple was traveling to a concert in Austin when her bus reached the Sierra Blanca checkpoint, an inland Border Patrol station about 87 miles east of El Paso. TMZ reported that agents found hashish on the bus and a small amount of marijuana on her, and that she was booked into the Hudspeth County Jail on a possession charge. She was 35 and spent one night in jail.
The Checkpoint to the Stars
The Sierra Blanca checkpoint sits on the main highway between El Paso and San Antonio, so touring musicians pass through it constantly. Drug-sniffing dogs work the lanes, and when agents find small amounts of drugs they usually hand the case to Hudspeth County, which prosecutes it under Texas law. In January 2012 the Associated Press reported that the county sheriff’s office had handled about 2,000 cases the previous year, most of them drug seizures from the checkpoint.
Willie Nelson (November 2010)
The stop first made national news on November 26, 2010, when officers found about six ounces of marijuana on Willie Nelson’s tour bus as he traveled from Los Angeles back to Texas. He was released after posting $2,500 bail. County attorney Kit Bramblett said publicly that Nelson could settle the case by singing “Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain” in court, a remark the judge later said was a joke. A deal for a $500 fine was then rejected by Judge Becky Dean-Walker, who objected to what she saw as preferential treatment, according to The Hollywood Reporter and the record of the case. Bramblett said the case would sit open until it was dismissed, and it was never formally resolved.
Armie Hammer (November 2011)
Actor Armie Hammer was arrested at the checkpoint in November 2011 after deputies said they found marijuana-laced brownies and cookies in his car while he was driving to San Antonio, the AP reported. The El Paso district attorney’s office later declined to prosecute because the amount would only have been a misdemeanor.
Snoop Dogg (January 2012)
In January 2012 agents found several joints on Snoop Dogg’s tour bus. According to the AP, he was cited for possession of marijuana paraphernalia and agreed to pay a fine and court costs. His wider cannabis story is in our piece on Snoop Dogg and weed.
Nelly (October 2012)
A few weeks after Apple’s arrest, in October 2012, agents searched rapper Nelly’s tour bus at the same stop and reported finding about 10 pounds of marijuana, a small amount of heroin and a loaded gun. Nelly himself was not charged; a member of his entourage was arrested, according to coverage summarized here.
Why It Mattered
The busts showed how federal checkpoints far from the border had become a routine source of small marijuana cases. Border Patrol enforces federal law, under which marijuana possession is a crime no matter what a state allows, and it hands minor cases to local prosecutors. Sierra Blanca is a town of a few hundred people (315 in the 2020 census), and Hudspeth County officials said they lacked the money to prosecute most of the cases the checkpoint generated.
What Happened Next
None of the famous defendants went to prison. Nelson paid bail and his case stayed in limbo; Hammer was never prosecuted; Snoop paid a fine. The outcome of Apple’s charge was not widely reported, and we could not find a court record of a conviction. Nelson later turned his reputation into a business, announcing his cannabis brand Willie’s Reserve in 2015.
Where It Stands in 2026
Texas still has not legalized recreational marijuana, and possession of small amounts remains a misdemeanor under state law; see our Texas marijuana laws guide for current rules and the state’s limited medical program. Inland Border Patrol checkpoints still operate on I-10, and carrying cannabis through them, or across any state line, is illegal under federal law, as explained on our federal laws page.
Sierra Blanca Checkpoint Marijuana Arrests FAQ
Where is the Sierra Blanca checkpoint?
On Interstate 10 near Sierra Blanca in Hudspeth County, Texas, about 87 miles east of El Paso. It is an inland U.S. Border Patrol checkpoint.
Which celebrities were arrested at Sierra Blanca?
The best-known cases are Willie Nelson (2010), Armie Hammer (2011), Snoop Dogg (2012) and Fiona Apple (2012). A member of Nelly’s entourage was arrested there in October 2012.
What was Fiona Apple arrested for?
Possession of hashish, after agents found hashish on her tour bus and a small amount of marijuana on her on September 19, 2012.
Did Willie Nelson have to sing in court?
No. The county attorney suggested it, but the judge said Nelson would not have to perform, and his case was never formally resolved.
Originally reported by The Weed Street Journal; rewritten and updated in October 2026 with what happened next.