Brownsville CBP Officers Seize $182K in Fentanyl

BROWNSVILLE, Texas — U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers at Brownsville Port of Entry this weekend seized $182,000 in fentanyl within a passenger vehicle during a routine examination.

“Our frontline officers employed an effective combination of inspections experience, technology, high tech tools which contributed to a significant seizure of fentanyl in the passenger vehicle environment,” said Port Director Tater Ortiz, Brownsville Port of Entry.

The seizure took place on Friday, Aug. 13, at Veterans International Bridge when a 50-year-old male United States citizen from Brownsville, Texas, applied for entry into the United States driving a 2007 Ford.  The vehicle was referred to CBP secondary for further examination after a primary inspection.  In secondary, with the aid of a non-intrusive imaging system (NII), CBP officers discovered five packages which contained a total of 13.44 pounds of alleged fentanyl hidden within the 2007 Ford.  CBP officers removed the packages.

The estimated street value of the narcotics from the seizure is approximately $182,905.

CBP officers seized the narcotics along with the vehicle, arrested the driver and turned him over to the custody of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) special agents for further investigation.