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  4. CBP Officers Arrest Cocaine Smuggler At El Paso Port Of Entry

CBP Officers Arrest Cocaine Smuggler At El Paso Port Of Entry

Release Date
Tue, 10/28/2014

EL PASO, Texas – U.S. Customs and Border Protection Office of Field Operations officers working at the El Paso port of entry made a 12.4 pound cocaine seizure Monday. The drugs have an approximate street value of $396,800.

“This interdiction removes a sizeable amount of cocaine from the streets of our communities and the reach of our youth,” said Acting CBP El Paso Port Director Francis Brown. “This noteworthy seizure highlights CBP’s determination to serve the American people.”

CBP officers discover cocaine filled bundles in cushion of rear seat.

CBP officers discover cocaine filled bundles in cushion of rear seat.

The seizure was made at the Paso Del Norte international crossing at approximately 8:14 p.m. when a 2000 Kia Sephia arrived at the port from Mexico. A CBP officer at the primary inspection station selected the vehicle for a secondary exam. CBP drug sniffing dog “Dora” searched the vehicle and alerted to the presence of drugs. CBP officers scanned the vehicle with the Z-Portal x-ray system which revealed areas of concern in the backseat. CBP officers continued their exam and located five cocaine-filled bundles in the rear seat.

CBP officers arrested 21-year-old Petra Lizette Reyes of El Paso, Texas. She was turned over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement HSI agents to face charges associated with the failed smuggling attempt.

In addition to the cocaine seizure, CBP officers at the El Paso Port of Entry recorded eight marijuana seizures with an approximate weight of 664.29 pounds during this past weekend.

CBP Field Operations is responsible for securing our borders at the ports of entry. U.S. Customs and Border Protection Officers’ primary mission is anti-terrorism; they screen all people, vehicles, and goods entering the United States, while facilitating the flow of legitimate trade and travel into and out of the United States. Their mission also includes carrying out traditional border-related responsibilities, including narcotics interdiction, enforcing immigration law, protecting the nation’s food supply and agriculture industry from pests and diseases, and enforcing trade laws.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection is the unified border agency within the Department of Homeland Security charged with the management, control and protection of our nation's borders at and between the official ports of entry. CBP is charged with keeping terrorists and terrorist weapons out of the country while enforcing hundreds of U.S. laws.

Last Modified: Feb 03, 2021