TEXAS: A Mexican national was arrested at the Presidio port of entry after he allegedly attempted to smuggle over five pounds of cocaine through the port inside the battery of a 2002 Ford Escape.
According to US Customs and Border Protection Office Field Operations officers made the seizure when 32-year-old Raul Rene Murillo Tello of Chihuahua, Mexico came into the port from Mexico driving a 2002 Ford Escape.
The SUV had no license plate and Tello told officers that he’d just bought the car the day before. He was asked to go to a secondary screening area for additional inspection and that’s when a Z-Portal scan of the vehicle revealed anomalies in the SUV’s battery.
Inside, officers located 5.3 pounds of cocaine with an estimated street value of $160,000 allegedly smuggled by Tello.
“This seizure reminds us all that a small amount of illegal drugs can be hidden anywhere in a vehicle,” said John Deputy, CBP Presidio Port Director. “Even a small amount of cocaine can reap handsome profits for the smuggler so this is a significant bust.”
He was taken into custody by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement HSI agents in connection to the failed smuggling attempt.
