$3.6 Million Drug Bust on the Streets of Laredo

LAREDO, Texas—U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Office of Field Operations officers assigned to the Juarez-Lincoln Bridge and Colombia-Solidarity Bridge seized hard narcotics over the weekend that totaled over $3,600,000 in street value. 

“CBP officers did a phenomenal job in interdicting these illicit narcotics at our port of entry, “said Port Director Alberto Flores, Laredo Port of Entry. “These seizures will help keep dangerous drugs out of our communities, in turn denying criminal organizations the revenue derived from their sale.”

The first seizure occurred on Thursday, Jan. 25 at the Juarez- Lincoln Bridge, when a CBP officer assigned to bus operations referred a commercial bus and its passengers for a secondary inspection. Following a canine and non-intrusive inspection system examination, CBP officers discovered 129.30 pounds of alleged cocaine within the bus. The narcotics have a street value of $1,724,949.

The second seizure occurred on Saturday, Jan. 27 at the Colombia-Solidarity Bridge, when a CBP officer referred a 2011 Chevrolet Silverado manifesting a shipment of “molcajetes” for a secondary inspection. Following a canine and non-intrusive inspection system examination, CBP officers discovered 82.32 pounds of alleged cocaine, 77.47 pounds of alleged methamphetamine, and 4.5 pounds of alleged fentanyl within the commodity. The narcotics have a combined street value of $1,917,588.

The narcotics in both seizures have a combined street value of $3,642,537.

CBP seized the narcotics and bus. Homeland Security Investigations special agents are investigating the seizures.