U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents discovered nearly six pounds of cocaine inside luggage at the Dallas Fort Worth International Airport.
Several sealed packages of the white powdery substance were found hidden within the lining of an outbound checked luggage bag on Monday. The packages, in total, weighed 2.69 kilograms. Just one gram of cocaine may cost between $60 and $200 on the street.
The traveler who checked the luggage, a U.S. citizen, was taken into custody and turned over to the DFW Airport Department of Public Safety for processing, and the drugs were confiscated.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents seize an average of 2,895 pounds of drugs every day at U.S. air, land, and sea ports of entry, according to the agency’s press release.
“CBP is committed to combating drug trafficking at every level and we will continue to relentlessly pursue criminal networks and individuals who contribute to the scourge of drug abuse and addiction,” said acting Area Port Director Raul Orona.
In addition to illicit drugs, CBP officials also search for “unreported currency, weapons, counterfeit consumer goods, prohibited agriculture, invasive weeds and pests, and other illicit products that could potentially harm the American public, U.S. businesses, and our nation’s safety and economic vitality,” the press release noted.
The agency did not provide any details about the suspect or where the traveler was headed with the drugs.