Over the course of six incidents, U.S. Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) agents at the Laredo Port of Entry in Texas and the Port of Nogales’ DeConcini crossing in Arizona seized $1,378,000 in cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine.
The events at the Laredo Port of Entry began on Jan. 30, when a CBP officer recommended a 38-year-old male, U.S. citizen riding a bicycle across the Gateway to the Americas Bridge for a secondary examination. Canine and physical inspections found 3.57 pounds of heroin.
The second seizure occurred on Jan. 29 at the Lincoln-Juarez Bridge after a CBP officer referred a 33-year-old male, Mexican citizen for a secondary examination. A total of eight packages of heroin, weighing in at 19.09 pounds, were discovered in the man’s 2012 Volkswagen Jetta.
The third seizure occurred on Jan. 27 at the Lincoln-Juarez Bridge when a 25-year-old male, Mexican citizen was stopped by a CBP officer for inspection. Ten packages, containing 25.30 pounds of cocaine, were found in the man’s 1999 Mercury Cougar.
Agents at the Port of Nogales’ DeConcini crossing referred the Dodge sedan of a 26-year-old female, Mexican citizen for inspection on Jan. 27, discovering seven pounds of cocaine, 11 pounds of heroin and 35 pounds of meth inside the vehicle’s rocker panels.
On Jan. 28, a CBP canine alerted to the presence of drugs within the Chevrolet sedan of a 22-year-old female, U.S. citizen. Officers then found 46 pounds of meth in the vehicle’s rear panels.
On Jan. 29, a 37-year-old male, United States citizen was stopped by CBP officers when a canine team positively alerted to the presence of drugs in the man’s Toyota truck. Officers discovered more than 20 pounds of meth in the vehicle’s front fenders.
All subjects were arrested and turned over to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement-Homeland Security Investigations.
“These […] significant seizures of hard narcotics are directly attributable to the vigilance, dedication and inspectional techniques our CBP officers demonstrate on a daily basis,” Port Director Gregory Alvarez, Laredo Port of Entry, said. “I congratulate our officers for their dedication which has prevented these dangerous narcotics from entering our country.”