CBP Officers at Del Rio Port of Entry Seize $1.6 Million in Cocaine
Written by Post Public Information Representative, Mar 21, 2011, 0 Comments
Courtesy U.S. Customs and Border Protection,
DEL RIO, TEXAS – U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers at the Del Rio Port of Entry on St. Patrick’s Day seized cocaine worth a rather hefty pot of gold, $1.6 million in fact. The seizure occurred on March 17, 2011 at Del Rio International Bridge . A CBP officer referred a 1997 Toyota Celica driven by a 26-year-old male U.S. citizen from Del Rio for a secondary examination. During the examination, CBP officers discovered anomalies in the rear part of the vehicle. Upon further examination, CBP officers discovered 20 packages containing a total of 51 pounds of cocaine. The cocaine has an estimated street value of $1.6 million.
CBP officers turned the driver over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement-Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI) special agents for further investigation and seized the narcotics and the vehicle.
“Our alert CBP officers applied their training, high tools and seized a load of hard narcotics with a significant street value,” said Michael Perez, CBP Port Director, Del Rio . “Stopping a large load like this re-energizes our frontline officers and reinforces our commitment to keeping our borders and communities secure.”