$680K+ In Cocaine And Methamphetamine Seized At Texas-Mexico Border
BROWNSVILLE, Texas (CBSDFW.COM) — U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at the Brownsville Port of Entry intercepted narcotics in three separate enforcement actions with a combined estimated street value of $681,596.
"Our officers use multiple enforcement tools to detect dangerous narcotics and prevent these deadly drugs from entering our country," said Port Director Tater Ortiz, Brownsville Port of Entry.
The first seizure happened on Wednesday, Dec. 1 at Los Indios International Bridge when a 42-year-old male United States citizen who lives in San Benito attempted entry into the U.S. driving a 2009 Dodge. The vehicle was referred to CBP secondary for further examination after a primary inspection. While in the secondary inspection area, with the aid of a non-intrusive imaging system and a canine unit, CBP officers discovered 10 packages hidden within the car. CBP officers removed the packages which contained a total of 24.2 pounds of cocaine.
The second seizure happened on Thursday, Dec. 2, at the Brownsville and Matamoros International Bridge when a 47-year-old U.S. citizen who from Brownsville applied for entry into the country driving a 2000 Ford. Officers discovered nine packages hidden within containing 20.89 pounds of cocaine.
The third seizure also took place on Thursday, Dec. 2, at the Gateway International Bridge when a 23-year-old U.S. citizen from Laguna Vista, Texas, applied for entry into the country driving a 2011 Dodge. Officers discovered 13 packages hidden inside her truck containing 16.68 pounds of methamphetamine.
The estimated street value of the narcotics from the seizures, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection is $186,660, $161,160, and $333,776.
CBP officers seized the narcotics along with the vehicles, arrested the travelers and turned them over to the custody of Homeland Security Investigations special agents for further investigation.