An official website of the United States government

Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock ( ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

  1. Home
  2. Newsroom
  3. Local Media Release
  4. Brownsville CBP Officers Seize $360K in Cocaine at Veterans Bridge

Brownsville CBP Officers Seize $360K in Cocaine at Veterans Bridge

Release Date
Tue, 07/27/2021

BROWNSVILLE, Texas — U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers at the Veterans International Bridge intercepted a load of alleged cocaine, hidden within a 2002 Ford Focus.

“Our officers remain vigilant as they conduct their inspections and their efforts paid off with this significant narcotics seizure,” said Port Director Tater Ortiz, Brownsville Port of Entry.

Packages containing 46.73 pounds of cocaine seized by CBP officers at Brownsville Port of Entry
Packages containing 46.73 pounds of
cocaine seized by CBP officers at Veterans
International Bridge in Brownsville.

The seizure took place on Monday, July 19, at Veterans International Bridge when a 23-year-old male United States citizen who resides in La Porte, Texas, attempted entry into the United States driving a 2002 Ford. The vehicle was referred to CBP secondary for further examination after a primary inspection.  While in the secondary inspection area, with the aid of a non-intrusive imaging system (NII), CBP officers discovered 20 packages hidden within the vehicle.  CBP officers removed the packages which contained a total of 46.73 pounds of alleged cocaine.

 

The estimated street value of the cocaine from the seizure is $360,400.

CBP officers seized the narcotics along with the vehicle, arrested the driver and turned him over to the custody of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) special agents for further investigation.

Follow the Director of CBP’s Laredo Field Office on Twitter at @DFOLaredo, on Instagram at @dfolaredo and U.S. Customs and Border Protection at @CBPSouthTexas for breaking news, current events, human interest stories and photos.

 

Last Modified: Oct 17, 2022