MIAMI: U.S. Customs and Protection (CBP) Office of Field Operations (OFO) officers working at Port Everglades seized approximately 154 pounds of cocaine inside a burlap sack during an inspection of a vessel container arriving from Guayaquil, Ecuador on Feb. 16. The estimated street value of the drugs is $2 million.
Cocaine seized at Port Everglades.CBP field operations officers conducting an inspection of containers during an enforcement boarding found an empty container with a burlap sack. A CBP K-9 subsequently alerted to the presence of narcotics and CBP officers discovered a duffel bag full of brick shaped objects.
The substance tested positive to the properties of cocaine and evidence was turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
“This seizure is a direct reflection of the vigilance and commitment to mission success by our CBP officers and the strong partnerships with law enforcement partners across South Florida,” said Port Everglades Port Director Jorge Roig. “We’ll continue to enforce hundreds of U.S. laws including the interdiction of narcotic contraband while maintaining the effective and efficient flow of travel and trade.”
CBP officers working at Port Everglades also seized over 615 pounds of cocaine found in five duffel bags during an inspection of a vessel container arriving from Cartagena, Colombia last October.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection uses sophisticated methods to identify and target potentially high-risk passengers and cargo, including advanced electronic information about every passenger and cargo shipment entering into the U.S. before their arrival, canine inspections and non-intrusive devices.
