BROWNSVILLE — U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at the Brownsville and Matamoros International Bridge intercepted 52 pounds of alleged cocaine in two separate enforcement actions that have a combined estimated street value of $679,970. Two 24-year-old men were arrested.
“These significant narcotic seizures are a success not only for our agency in keeping our border secure but also for our communities as these drugs were kept from reaching our streets,” said Port Director Tater Ortiz, Brownsville Port of Entry.
28 Pounds of Cocaine Seized in Brownsville (Contributed/CBP)
The first seizure took place on Thursday, Oct. 6, at the Brownsville and Matamoros International Bridge when a 24-year-old male United States citizen who resides in Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico, attempted entry into the United States driving a 2008 Dodge. The vehicle was referred to CBP secondary for further examination after a primary inspection. While in the secondary inspection area, with the aid of a non-intrusive inspection system (NII), CBP officers discovered 12 packages hidden within the vehicle. CBP officers removed the packages which contained a total of 27.73 pounds of alleged cocaine.
The second seizure took place on Friday, Oct. 7, also at the Brownsville and Matamoros International Bridge when a 24-year-old male United States citizen who resides in Sullivan City, Texas, attempted entry into the United States in a 2015 GMC. The vehicle was referred to CBP secondary for further examination after a primary inspection. While in the secondary inspection area, with the aid of a non-intrusive inspection system (NII) and a canine unit, CBP officers discovered 10 packages hidden within the vehicle. CBP officers removed the packages which contained a total of 23.19 pounds of alleged cocaine.
The estimated street value of the narcotics from the seizures is approximately $370,304 and $309,666, respectively.
CBP officers seized the narcotics along with the vehicles, arrested the travelers and turned them over to the custody of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) special agents for further investigation.
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