BROWNSVILLE, Texas – U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at the Brownsville Port of Entry intercepted two loads of alleged narcotics over the weekend. CBP officers discovered the alleged drugs, which carried a combined street value of approximately $452,200, hidden within the two vehicles.
“Our officers did an outstanding job in keeping these dangerous drugs off our streets and our country is safer for it,” said Port Director Petra Horne, Brownsville Port of Entry. “These seizures are the result of our officers’ keen observation skills and experience.”
The first seizure took place on Saturday, Dec. 17, at Gateway International Bridge when CBP officers working primary encountered a man as he arrived at the port of entry as the driver of a black 2007 Jeep Cherokee. A pre-primary examination of the vehicle by a CBP officer and canine enforcement partner resulted in a referral for further examination. The driver, identified as a 38-year-old male Mexican citizen who resides in Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico, was referred to CBP secondary for further examination after a primary inspection. CBP officers working in secondary discovered 16 packages hidden within the Jeep Cherokee. CBP officers removed the packages, which contained a total of 23.15 pounds of alleged cocaine with an estimated street value of $178,500.
The second seizure also took place on Saturday, Dec. 17, at the Brownsville and Matamoros International Bridge, when CBP officers working primary encountered a man as he arrived at the port of entry as the driver of a silver 2004 Nissan Sentra. The man, identified as a 40-year-old Mexican citizen who resides in Needville, Texas, was referred to CBP secondary for further examination after a primary inspection. With the help of a non-intrusive imaging system which detected anomalies within the vehicle, CBP officers discovered 15 packages hidden within the vehicle. CBP officers removed the packages which contained a total of 35.49 pounds of alleged cocaine with an estimated street value of $273,700.
The combined estimated street value of the narcotics from these seizures is approximately $452,200.
CBP officers seized the narcotics along with the vehicles, arrested the drivers, and turned them over to the custody of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) special agents for further investigation.
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