Texas: Customs, Border Patrol seize $10 million in narcotics at Laredo

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Office of Field Operations (OFO) officers at the Laredo Port of Entry continue to maintain a strong enforcement posture and were successful as they executed a triple play cutoff resulting in narcotics seizures totaling over $10.6 million in three enforcement actions.

“These seizures speak volumes and I congratulate our men and women from CBP who work diligently and tirelessly as they protect our nation from dangerous narcotics,” said Port Director Albert Flores, Laredo Port of Entry. “Drug seizures of this magnitude are not only noteworthy, but also send a message of CBP’s mission to keep drugs from entering our community.”

The initial seizure that commenced the triple play occurred on Aug. 29 at the World Trade Bridge when a CBP officer referred a 2012 Freightliner tractor hauling a shipment of auto parts, driven by a 29-year-old male Mexican citizen who resides in Santa Catarina, Nuevo Leon for a secondary examination. Upon a non-intrusive imaging and canine inspection by CBP officers, a total of 252 packages containing 671 pounds of alleged cocaine was discovered.

The following seizure also occurred at the World Trade Bridge when a CBP officer referred a 1999 Freightliner tractor hauling a shipment of plastic containers, driven by a 43-year-old male Mexican citizen who resides in Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, Mexico for a secondary examination. Upon a non-intrusive imaging and canine inspection, CBP officers discovered 248 packages containing 659 pounds of alleged cocaine.

The final seizure occurred at the Gateway to the Americas International Bridge when a CBP officer conduct a thorough inspection of the personal belongings of a 38-year-old female United States citizen from Victoria, Texas. Upon a canine and non-intrusive imaging inspection of her personal belongings, a total of three packages containing 20 pounds of alleged crystal methamphetamine was discovered.

The narcotics combined have an estimated street value of $10,666,719.

CBP OFO seized the narcotics and the vehicles. The drivers were arrested and the cases were turned over to Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) special agents for further investigation.

Photo/Vectorportal via wikimedia commons

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