NASSAU, Bahamas— U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at the Bahamas-Nassau Preclearance facility seized one pound of cocaine from a traveler. The Royal Bahamas Police Force’s (RBPF) Drug Enforcement Unit took custody of the traveler upon discovering the contraband.
CBP Bahamas-Nassau Preclearance discovered cocaine inside a traveler's luggage.
On Oct. 7, CBP officers encountered a 19-year-old Bahamas citizen applying for admission to the United States to board a flight to Orlando, Florida. The subject was referred for a secondary baggage exam. During the baggage exam, CBP officers discovered four vacuum sealed bundles wrapped in a black plastic bag. Probing of the bundle produced a white powdery substance that field tested positive for cocaine.
“We are proud of our officers’ efforts in Nassau,” said Kurry Pastilong, acting deputy director for CBP Preclearance, “This interception further proves that positioning CBP personnel at Preclearance locations better serves the American people by keeping terrorists, criminals, and in this case narcotics, from reaching the United States.”
The street value for one pound of cocaine in Orlando, Florida is approximately $14,000 to $18,000.
CBP Preclearance operations allow for advance inspection of passengers and special coordination with law enforcement upon arrival in the United States. Through preclearance, the same immigration, customs, and agriculture inspections of international air passengers performed on arrival in the United States are instead completed before departure at foreign airports. Currently, preclearance operations exist at 15 foreign airports in six different countries, benefitting air passengers, airports, and air carriers, in the United States and abroad.