CBP Officers Nab Back to Back Loads at World Trade Bridge, Seizing Narcotics Worth More Than $1.5 Million
Written by Post Public Information Representative, Dec 3, 2018, Comments Off
Courtesy Diego Hernandez,
LAREDO, TEXAS – U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Office of Field Operations (OFO) officers intercepted a significant amount of narcotics with an estimated street value of more than $1.5 million in two enforcement actions over the weekend.
“These were two excellent back-to-back narcotics interceptions by our CBP officers and they illustrate the layered enforcement implemented by CBP,” said Port Director Albert Flores, Laredo Port of Entry. “Our CBP officers remain alert and continue to protect our nation from these dangerous drugs and people who pose a threat to our communities and our way of life.”
The first seizure occurred on Friday, Nov. 30, when a CBP officer assigned to the World Trade Bridge referred a 2015 Volvo tractor driven by a 27-year-old male Mexican citizen from Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico, hauling a shipment of barbed wire for a secondary examination. Upon a canine and non-intrusive imaging inspection by CBP officers, a total of 160 packages containing 4,239 pounds of alleged marijuana was discovered.
The last seizure also occurred on Friday, Nov. 30, at the World Trade Bridge when a CBP officer referred a 2010 Kenworth tractor driven by a 35-year-old Mexican male citizen from Uruapan, Michoacan, Mexico for a secondary inspection. Upon a non-intrusive imaging and physical inspection by CBP officers, a total of 36 pounds of alleged methamphetamine was discovered.
The narcotics combined have an estimated street value of $1,579,816.
CBP officers seized the tractors and the narcotics. Both drivers were arrested and the cases were turned over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement-Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI) special agents for further investigation.
