Brownsville CBP officers seize $1.6 million worth of narcotics in three seizures

BROWNSVILLE, Texas — U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers at the Brownsville Port of Entry intercepted alleged narcotics in three separate enforcement actions that have a combined estimated street value of $1,671,950.

“Our officers remain committed to keeping our borders secure and using their experience and keen observation skills to discover these dangerous drugs and keep them from reaching our streets,” said Port Director Tater Ortiz, Brownsville Port of Entry.

The first seizure took place on Thursday, Feb. 10 at the Brownsville and Matamoros International Bridge when a 48-year-old female United States citizen who resides in Brownsville, Texas, applied for entry into the United States driving a 2010 Ford.

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 three packages hidden within the 2010 Ford.  CBP officers removed the packages, which contained a total of 6.76 pounds of alleged cocaine.

The second seizure took place on Friday, Feb. 11, at the Veterans International Bridge when a 27-year-old male United States citizen who resides in Brownsville, Texas, applied for entry into the United States driving a 2011 Ford.

The vehicle was referred to CBP secondary for further examination after a primary inspection.

In secondary, with the aid of a canine unit and a non-intrusive imaging system (NII), CBP officers discovered 10 packages hidden within the 2011 Ford. CBP officers removed the packages, which contained a total of 22.35 pounds of alleged cocaine.

The third seizure took place on Saturday, Feb. 12, at the Los Indios International Bridge when a 32-year-old male Mexican citizen from Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico, accompanied by a 40-year-old female Mexican citizen from Chilpancingo, Guerrero, Mexico, applied for entry into the United States aboard a 2015 Ford.

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 77 packages hidden within the 2015 Ford.

CBP officers removed the packages, which contained a total of 187.70 pounds of alleged cocaine.

The estimated street value of the narcotics from the seizures is approximately $52,190, $172,380, and $1,447,380 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.