EL PASO: More than one ton of marijuana was seized at local ports of entry over the holiday weekend, officials said.
In nine seizures, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers seized 2,160 pounds of marijuana with an estimated street value of $1,728,000, officials said.
“CBP officers are working hard and remain vigilant in supporting our primary homeland security mission,” said Beverly Good, CBP El Paso port director. “Those inspections will often lead to the discovery of other violations, like the drug seizures recorded this weekend.”
One of the largest seizures took place Friday at the Bridge of the Americas when a 2006 Chevrolet Silverado arrived at the port just after 10 a.m.
An officer noticed something odd about the vehicle’s undercarriage, and a drug-sniffing dog tipped officers off to the presence of narcotics, officials said.
After scanning the vehicle, officers found 202 bundles filled with marijuana hidden throughout the vehicle.
The driver, 29-year-old Jose Salvador Marquez Nieblas of Chihuahua City, was turned over to federal agents in connection with the smuggling attempt.
