Border Crisis: Officers Seize 47 Pounds of Cocaine at El Paso Port of Entry

EL PASO, Texas – U.S. Customs and Border Protection Officers working at the Paso Del Norte international border crossing in downtown El Paso seized 47 pounds of cocaine with an estimated street value of more than half a million dollars.

“CBP is dedicated to upholding our important border security mission,” said CBP El Paso Director Field Operations Hector A. Mancha. “This seizure is an example of the vigilance and dedication by CBP Officers to disrupt the flow of illegal narcotics and keep them out of our communities.”

On April 8, CBP Officers and CBP Canine Enforcement Officers along with a drug detecting canine were conducting vehicle inspections at the Paso Del Norte border crossing when they encountered a vehicle driven by a 49-year-old female Mexican citizen arriving from Mexico. A CBP drug detecting dog conducted a search of the vehicle and alerted CBP Officers to the presence of a trained odor for narcotics.

A thorough examination by CBP Officers resulted in the discovery of 20 packages concealed within the vehicle. The contents of the bundles tested positive for the properties of cocaine. The narcotics and vehicle were seized by CBP, and the driver was turned over to ICE Homeland Security Investigations for prosecution.