FORT LAUDERDALE: U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Office of Field Operations (OFO) officers at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport arrested a 33-year-old male citizen of Haiti for smuggling nearly 20 pounds of cocaine in the false lining of two suitcases. The man was arriving from Port-Au-Prince, Haiti on July 26.
CBP officers selected the individual for further examination. During inspection, CBP officers lifted the emptied suitcases and noticed they were unusually heavy. Anomalies appeared on the X-ray screen when scanning the suitcases and a subsequent examination of the lining revealed a white, powdery substance that tested positive for cocaine.
A total of approximately 19.6 pounds of cocaine was seized and turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
“This is another excellent example of our CBP officers’ expertise and vigilance in preventing dangerous drugs from entering the United States,” said Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport Port Director Jorge Roig. “We are very proud of their hard work every day.”
The men and women of CBP are responsible for enforcing hundreds of U.S. laws and regulations. On a typical day, CBP welcomes nearly one million visitors, screens more than 67,000 cargo containers, arrests more than 1,100 individuals, and seizes nearly 6 tons of illicit drugs.
