Texas Border Business
BROWNSVILLE, TX – U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers at the Brownsville Port of Entry intercepted alleged narcotics in two separate enforcement actions at the Brownsville and Matamoros International Bridge that have a combined estimated street value of $286,450.
“CBP officers are doing an outstanding job day in and day out in securing our borders and their dedication and hard work has paid off with the interception of these dangerous narcotics,” said Port Director Tater Ortiz, Brownsville Port of Entry.
The first seizure took place on Wednesday, Sept. 1, at the Brownsville and Matamoros International Bridge when a 23-year-old female United States citizen from Brownsville, Texas, applied for entry into the United States driving a 2015 Chevrolet. The vehicle was referred to CBP secondary for further examination after a primary inspection. In secondary, with the aid of a canine unit, CBP officers discovered five packages hidden within the 2015 Chevrolet. CBP officers removed the packages, which contained a total of 11.22 pounds of alleged cocaine.
The second seizure took place on Sunday, Sept. 5, also at the Brownsville and Matamoros International Bridge when a 19-year-old male United States citizen from Brownsville, Texas, applied for entry into the United States driving a 2004 Mitsubishi. The vehicle was referred to CBP secondary for further examination after a primary inspection. In secondary, with the aid of a non-intrusive imaging system (NII) and a canine unit, CBP officers discovered 10 packages hidden within the 2004 Mitsubishi. CBP officers removed the packages, which contained a total of 25.92 pounds of alleged cocaine.
The estimated street value of the narcotics from the seizures is approximately $86,530 and $199,920 respectively.
CBP officers seized the narcotics and vehicles, arrested the travelers, and turned them over to the custody of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) special agents for further investigation.
