123 pounds of heroin, cocaine, marijuana seized at El Paso area ports of entry
EL PASO, Texas (CBSDFW.COM) – U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers working at El Paso area ports of entry seized 18 pounds of cocaine, 27 pounds of heroin and 78 pounds of marijuana over the weekend.
"Our CBP officers continue to maintain a robust enforcement posture," said CBP El Paso Director Field Operations Hector A. Mancha. "These interceptions are indicative of the commitment by our officers to the CBP mission of safeguarding our nation's borders."
On April 8, officers along with a drug detecting canine were conducting vehicle inspections at the Paso Del Norte border crossing in El Paso when they encountered a vehicle driven by a 24-year-old U.S. citizen arriving from Mexico.
A drug detecting dog alerted officers to the presence of narcotics. A thorough examination by officers resulted in the discovery of seven packages with a weight of 18 pounds concealed within the vehicle. The contents of the bundles tested positive for cocaine.
On April 9, officers working at the port of Columbus, New Mexico seized 27 pounds of heroin. They found multiple bundles hidden in a car that arrived from Mexico following a canine alert and non-intrusive inspection (X-ray) scan.
The next day, officers working at the port of Presidio encountered a vehicle driven by a 63-year-old U.S. citizen arriving from Mexico. The driver and the vehicle were referred for a secondary inspection where a drug detecting dog and an x-ray scan led to the discovery of 75 bundle with a weight of 78 pounds. The contents of the bundles tested positive for marijuana.
The narcotics and vehicles were seized and the drivers were turned over to ICE Homeland Security Investigations for prosecution.
