HIDALGO, Texas—U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Office of Field Operations officers at the Hidalgo International Bridge intercepted $739,000 in alleged cocaine concealed within a vehicle.
“CBP officers used all tools and resources to thwart this smuggling attempt,” said Port Director Carlos Rodriguez, Hidalgo/Pharr/Anzalduas Port of Entry.
On May 14, CBP officers conducting outbound enforcement operations at the Hidalgo International Bridge encountered a Chevrolet SUV driven by a 40-year-old male Mexican citizen attempting to depart the U.S. to Mexico. A CBP officer selected the vehicle for inspection, which included utilizing non-intrusive inspection (NII) equipment and a canine team. Physical inspection led to the discovery of 23 packages of alleged cocaine with a combined weight of 55.38 pounds (25.12 kg) concealed within the vehicle. The cocaine has an estimated street value of $739,742.
CBP OFO seized the narcotics and vehicle. Homeland Security Investigations special agents arrested the driver and initiated a criminal investigation.
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