WASHINGTON: U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers seized more than 400 pounds of marijuana in five separate cases Wednesday at various El Paso ports of entry, officials said. The five separate cases resulted in officers seizing 460 pounds of marijuana with an estimated street value of $368,000, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials said. “The smuggling threat is consistent. Vigilant CBP officers are stepping up every day to stop drug loads,” Beverly Good, CBP El Paso port director, said in a statement. “The work we perform plays an important role in keeping our nation safe from all threats.”
The largest case involved a 56-year-old Mexican citizen attempting to smuggle multiple drug-filled bundles in a vehicle across the Bridge of the Americas, officials said. The man, whose name was not released, attempted to cross the port of entry at about 8:30 p.m. Wednesday in a 2005 Chrystal Town and Country van, officials said. Officers noticed several issues with the vehicle and sent it for a secondary inspection, officials said. Multiple bundles filled with drugs allegedly were found in the quarter panels of the van, officials said. The driver was turned over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement special agents. He was arrested in connection with the failed smuggling attempt.
