Cocaine seized at Philadelphia port

A multi-agency examination of shipping containers at the Area Port of Philadelphia discovered more than 1,100 pounds of cocaine on March 19.

The cocaine, weighing 1,185 pounds, was discovered in a shipping container commodity of natural rubber from Guatemala. The narcotics have a street value of approximately $38 million.

The cocaine was concealed in 13 large duffel bags.

“Taking a half-ton of dangerous drugs out of circulation is a significant success for this collective team of federal, state and local law enforcement officers who work very hard every day to keep people safe,” Casey Durst, U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s (CBP) director of field Operations in Baltimore, said. “Customs and Border Protection remains committed to working with our law enforcement partners and to disrupting narcotics smuggling attempts at the Area Port of Philadelphia.”

This is the fourth time cocaine has been seized at the CBP Area Port of Philadelphia and the largest cocaine seizure for the port in 21 years.

The team was led by CBP and Homeland Security Investigations and included officers from the Office of the Attorney General Bureau of Narcotics Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Philadelphia Division, the Philadelphia Police Department, Homeland Security Joint Task Force-East, the Delaware State Police, the Pennsylvania State Police, the U.S. Coast Guard, Coast Guard Investigative Service, and the Nether Providence Police Department.