BROWNSVILLE: U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at the Brownsville Port of Entry intercepted four loads of alleged narcotics over a recent seven-day period. CBP officers discovered the alleged drugs, which carried a combined street value of approximately $357,680, hidden within the four vehicles.
“These multiple seizures are the result of the diligence and commitment of our officers to keep our country secure,” said Port Director Petra Horne, Brownsville Port of Entry.
The first seizure took place on Monday, Jan. 25, at Gateway International Bridge when a 40-year-old male United States citizen who resides in Brownsville, Texas, attempted entry into the United States, driving a blue 2003 Ford Explorer and was referred to CBP secondary for further examination. With the help of a non-intrusive imaging system which detected anomalies within the vehicle, CBP officers discovered 11 packages of alleged cocaine within the vehicle weighing 26.32 pounds.
The second seizure occurred on Wednesday, Jan. 27, also at Gateway International Bridge, when CBP officers working primary encountered a woman as she arrived at the port of entry as the driver of a green 1997 Ford Explorer. The woman, identified as a 21-year-old United States citizen who resides in Brownsville, Texas, was referred to CBP secondary for further examination after a primary inspection. CBP officers working in secondary discovered three packages hidden within the Ford Explorer. CBP officers removed the packages which contained a total of 7.28 pounds of alleged cocaine.
The third seizure took place on Friday, Jan. 29, at the Brownsville and Matamoros International Bridge when a 28-year-old male United States citizen who resides in Brownsville, Texas, attempted entry into the United States, driving a gray 2000 Dodge Neon and was referred to CBP secondary for further examination. With the help of a non-intrusive imaging system which detected anomalies within the vehicle, CBP officers discovered five packages of alleged cocaine within the vehicle weighing 12.79 pounds.
The fourth seizure also occurred on Friday, Jan. 29, at Gateway International Bridge, when CBP officers working primary encountered a female as she arrived at the port of entry as the driver of a green 1999 Ford Windstar. The woman, identified as a 26-year-old Mexican citizen who resides in Matamoros, Mexico, was referred to CBP secondary for further examination after a primary inspection. The driver was traveling with an 18-year-old female United States citizen who resides in Brownsville. CBP officers working in secondary discovered 43 packages hidden within the Ford Windstar. CBP officers removed the packages which contained a total of 49.21 pounds of alleged marijuana.
The combined estimated street value of the narcotics from these seizures is approximately $357,680.
CBP officers seized the narcotics along with the vehicles, arrested the drivers and the passenger, and turned them over to the custody of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) special agents for further investigation.
