LAREDO, Texas –On the heels of two significant hard narcotics seizures this weekend, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at the Laredo Port of Entry this week seized a sizable load of heroin hidden in a vehicle driven by a 71-year-old man.
Two bundles containing nearly 11 pounds of heroin seized by CBP officers in Laredo.
“Three significant hard narcotics seizures shows the experience and skill of our frontline officers in detecting drug loads but also illustrates a resurgence in the hard narcotics threat we are facing,” said Joseph Misenhelter, CBP Port Director, Laredo. “The age of the driver also shows that narcotics smuggling organizations utilize any vehicle driven by people of varying ages and backgrounds.”
The seizure occurred, Sept. 16, at Gateway to the Americas Bridge. CBP officers referred a 1998 Chevy Suburban driven by a 71-year-old male Mexican citizen from South Gate, California for a secondary examination. CBP officers discovered two packages containing a total of nearly 11 pounds of alleged heroin hidden within the vehicle. The estimated street value for the narcotics is $1 million.
CBP Field Operations at Laredo Port of Entry is part of the South Texas Campaign, which leverages federal, state and local resources to combat transnational criminal organizations.