PHARR, Texas—U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Office of Field Operations (OFO) at the Pharr International Bridge arrested a 28-year-old man from Irapuato, Guanajuato, Mexico after discovering $286,960 worth of alleged cocaine within the commercial truck he was driving.
Bundles containing 37.21 pounds of cocaine seized by CBP officers within the batteries of a commercial tractor at Pharr-Reynosa International Bridge
“This compact but significant seizure of hard narcotics within the commercial environment reflects the efforts by drug smuggling organizations to introduce their illicit product into the U.S. and also exemplifies OFO’s commitment towards thwarting those efforts,” said Acting Port Director Javier Cantu, Hidalgo/Pharr/Anzalduas Port of Entry.
On April 21, a commercial tractor/trailer arrived at the Pharr-Reynosa International Bridge cargo facility with a manifested commercial shipment of radiator hoses. A CBP officer referred the conveyance to the vehicle non-intrusive imaging system and ultimately the shipment was sent to the secondary dock for further examination. In the process of inspecting the conveyance and shipment, officers discovered packages of suspected narcotics hidden within the batteries of the Freightliner tractor. Officers removed and seized 18 packages of alleged cocaine weighing approximately 37.21 pounds and seized the tractor/trailer as well.
CBP OFO arrested the driver and subsequently released him to the custody of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents for further investigation.