BROWNSVILLE, Texas – U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers working at the Brownsville and Matamoros International Bridge intercepted a load of alleged cocaine, valued at approximately $549,440, hidden within a white 2002 Ford E-350 XLT Super Duty van.
“I am proud of our highly trained CBP officers and commend them for their outstanding performance leading to this significant interception of narcotics,” said Port Director Petra Horne, Brownsville Port of Entry.
The seizure took place on Wednesday, May 17, at the Brownsville and Matamoros International Bridge when a 22-year-old male United States citizen with residence in Brownsville, Texas, applied for entry into the United States driving a white 2002 Ford E-350 XLT Super Duty van and was referred to CBP secondary for examination. Upon inspection of the van and with the assistance of non-intrusive inspection technology (NII), CBP officers discovered and removed 30 packages of alleged cocaine hidden within the van. The packages contained a total of 71.3 pounds of alleged cocaine with an estimated street value of approximately $540,440.
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.