BROWNSVILLE, Texas – U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at the Brownsville Port of Entry intercepted two loads of alleged narcotics on Saturday. CBP officers discovered the alleged drugs, which carried a combined street value of approximately $16,314, hidden within two vehicles at Gateway International Bridge.
“Every drug interception matters when it comes to the security of our nation,” said Port Director Petra Horne, Brownsville Port of Entry. “I congratulate our officers for their diligence and dedication to the CBP mission.”
The first seizure took place on Friday, Mar. 3, at the Gateway International Bridge, when CBP officers working primary encountered a woman as she arrived at the port of entry as the driver of a blue 2003 Chevrolet Trailblazer. The driver, identified as a 20-year-old female United States citizen who resides in Westminster, South Carolina, was referred to CBP secondary for further examination after a primary inspection. With the help of a non-intrusive imaging system and a K9 unit, CBP officers discovered 11 packages hidden within the Chevrolet Trailblazer. CBP officers removed the packages, which contained a total of 44.58 pounds of alleged marijuana with an estimated street value of $8,915.
The second seizure took place on Saturday, Mar. 4, also at the Gateway International Bridge, when CBP officers working primary encountered a man as he arrived at the port of entry as the driver of a light green 2007 Nissan Sentra. The driver, identified as a 50-year-old male Mexican citizen who resides in Brownsville, Texas, was referred to CBP secondary for further examination after a primary inspection. With the help of a non-intrusive imaging system and a K9 unit, CBP officers discovered 34 packages hidden within the vehicle. CBP officers removed the packages which contained a total of 37 pounds of alleged marijuana with an estimated street value of $7,399.
The combined estimated street value of the narcotics from these seizures is approximately $16,314.
CBP officers seized the narcotics along with the vehicles, arrested the drivers, and turned them over to the custody of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) special agents for further investigation.