Del Rio, Texas - U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers in Eagle Pass arrested a Converse man early Saturday after discovering more than half a million dollars worth of narcotics hidden in the car he was driving.
Saturday morning, CBP officers at Eagle Pass Bridge inspected a 1997 Mercury Grand Marquis driven by a 47-year-old Mexican national, who applied for entry presenting a permanent resident card. Officers referred the vehicle for intensive inspection, during which a CBP drug detector canine and non-intrusive imaging system revealed anomalies on the underside of the vehicle. Officers found nine packages hidden inside the drive shaft of the car. Six of the packages were found to contain cocaine, while the remaining three contained heroin.
CBP officers seized a total of 6.79 pounds of cocaine, valued at more than $217,500, and 3.23 pounds of heroin, valued at $323,400. The case was turned over to Homeland Security Investigations.
"Smugglers continue to use elaborate methods to try to smuggle their drugs into the country," said Cynthia Rodriguez, CBP Port Director, Eagle Pass. "This seizure is yet another illustration of the professionalism and dedication our frontline CBP officers put forth on a daily basis."
The Office of Field Operations is the primary organization within U.S. Customs and Border Protection tasked with an anti-terrorism mission at our nation's ports. CBP officers screen all people, vehicles and goods entering the U.S. while facilitating the flow of legitimate trade and travel. Their mission also includes carrying out border-related duties, including narcotics interdiction, enforcing immigration and trade laws, and protecting the nation's food supply and agriculture industry from pests and diseases.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection is the unified border agency within the Department of Homeland Security charged with the management, control and protection of our nation's borders at and between the official ports of entry. CBP is charged with keeping terrorists and terrorist weapons out of the country while enforcing hundreds of U.S. laws.