Officers Seize Nearly $935,000 in Cocaine and Marijuana

U.S. Customs and Border Protection Officers Seize Nearly $935,000 in Cocaine and Marijuana Arrest Three at Brownsville Port of Entry


April 12, 2010 - Brownsville, Texas – U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at the Brownsville and Matamoros International Bridge this past weekend seized cocaine and marijuana valued at approximately $934,700. On Saturday at the Brownsville and Matamoros International Bridge, CBP officers stopped a red 1999 Oldsmobile Alero driven by a 34-year-old male, Mexican citizen resident of Brownsville, Texas. The driver was accompanied by a 31-year-old male Mexican citizen resident of Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico. The primary CBP officer referred the vehicle and its passengers to secondary for further inspection. At secondary, CBP officers’ examination of the Oldsmobile resulted in the discovery of packages concealed within the Alero. CBP officers removed 10 packages from the vehicle with a combined weight of 11.5 kilograms (25.4 pounds) of cocaine.

In the second case this weekend, CBP officers came in contact with a green 1997 Dodge 1500 pickup driven by a 50-year-old male Mexican citizen who resides in Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico. A CBP officer’s primary inspection resulted in the Dodge and its driver being referred to secondary for further examination. At secondary, CBP officers discovered 19 packages hidden within the walls of the pickup. CBP officers’ inspection of the packages determined 18 packages to contain marijuana with a total weight of 19 kilograms (41.9 pounds) and one of the packages encapsulated 1.15 kilograms (2.5 pounds) of cocaine

The cocaine and marijuana from these seizures has an estimated street value of approximately $934,700. CBP officers turned the narcotics, the drivers, the passenger and the vehicles over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) special agents for further investigation.

“This was a busy weekend for CBP officers working the Brownsville port of entry. Our officers continue to stop dangerous narcotics from being brought into the country. I applaud our officers for an outstanding job in stemming the introduction of drugs into our cities,” said Michael Freeman, CBP port director, Brownsville port of entry.