Border Crisis: Officers Seize Cocaine Worth Over $1.5 Million at World Trade Bridge

LAREDO, Texas—U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Office of Field Operations (OFO) officers seized cocaine in two separate enforcement actions that totaled over $1,500,000 in street value.

“This seizure demonstrates how the officers’ determination, utilization of technology and canines led to the discovery of these hard narcotics,” said Port Director Alberto Flores, Laredo Port of Entry. “I commend the officers for their keen observational skills and interviewing techniques which played a key role in both discoveries.”

The first seizure occurred on May 25, 2022, at the World Trade Bridge, after CBP officers encountered a 2007 Volvo tractor-trailer manifesting a shipment of lead pipe arriving from Mexico. The tractor and the trailer were referred for a canine and non-intrusive imaging system inspection, resulting in the discovery of 32 packages containing 119.5 pounds of alleged cocaine within the tires of the trailer. The narcotics had an estimated street value of $921,400.

The second seizure occurred on May 26, 2022, also at World Trade Bridge, after CBP officers encountered a 2001 Sterling tractor trailer manifesting a shipment of wood charcoal arriving from Mexico. The truck was referred for a canine and non-intrusive imaging system inspection, resulting in the discovery of 32 packages containing 80.33 pounds of alleged cocaine within the tires of the trailer. The narcotics had an estimated street value of $619,480.

The narcotics combined had an estimated street value of $1,540,880.

CBP seized the narcotics and the tractors. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement-Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI) special agents took the cases.