LAREDO: More than 100 pounds of cocaine in a tractor-trailer arriving at World Trade Bridge was seized, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials said.
The seizure happened Tuesday when CBP officers referred a 1998 Utility tractor hauling an empty trailer driven by a 24-year-old citizen from Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, Mexico, for a secondary examination, officials said.
During the examination, officers discovered 40 packages containing nearly 101 pounds of alleged cocaine within the conveyance, according to CBP.
Officials said the cocaine has an estimated street value of $778,000.
“This is a significant amount of hard narcotics discovered by our frontline CBP officers in the commercial environment and the seizure reflects an effective utilization of officer experience, training and technology,” Port Director Joseph Misenhelter said.
CBP officers seized the narcotics and tractor. They also arrested the driver and turned him over to Homeland Security Investigations special agents for further investigation.
