CBP intercepts alleged cocaine smuggling effort

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Office of Field Operations (OFO) officers in Laredo, Texas, recently intercepted an alleged cocaine smuggling effort yielding a $109,000 forfeiture.

The March 5 seizure at the Gateway to the Americas International Bridge stemmed from a CBP officer referring a Volkswagen Passat driven by a 27-year-old male Mexican citizen who traveled with a 28-year-old Mexican citizen passenger to secondary for an examination.

Further inspection by CBP officers resulted in discovery of a total of five packages containing 14 pounds of cocaine hidden on the bodies of the two occupants of the vehicle, with officials noting the travelers were enrolled in the Secure Electronic Network for Travelers Rapid Inspection (SENTRI) program.

“CBP has numerous layers of enforcement and our officers will go above and beyond to keep these illicit drugs from entering our country and affecting our community,” Albert Flores, port director of the Laredo Port of Entry, said. “Although SENTRI participants are processed in an expedited manner, they are still subject to inspection as they make entry through our ports of entry.”

Authorities said both the driver and passenger were arrested and the case was turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement-Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI) special agents for further investigation. SENTRI privileges were revoked for both passengers.