Federal agents have seized nearly $2 million worth of cocaine in two separate drug busts at Texas border crossings this past weekend.
The larger of the two drug seizures took place on Friday, May 16, at the Hidalgo International Bridge when Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers stopped a 2002 Ford Ranger driven by a 21-year-old American citizen trying to enter the country from Mexico.
After choosing the vehicle for secondary inspection, officers searched the truck and soon found around 28 tightly wrapped packages of cocaine hidden inside. The drugs weighed a total of 74 pounds and carried an estimated street value of $989,049, according to a CBP report.
“This seizure illustrates the effective combination of CBP officer skill, experience and the utilization of all tools and resources, including our canines to zero in on hidden narcotics,” said Port Director Rogelio Olivares.
Later that same day, officers at the Rio Grande City International Bridge also moved a tractor-trailer to a secondary inspection station. A canine alert led to the secondary bust, a discovery of 69.44 pounds of cocaine worth approximately $956,070, hidden in a compartment inside the trailer.
The combined efforts of both ports of entry removed 143.51 pounds of cocaine, valued at more than $1.94 million, from potentially hitting the streets in the U.S.
It is not currently known whether both busts were connected, regardless of the similar weight and street value of the separate incidents. However, an investigation into the cocaine smugglers is still underway at the time of publication.
In both cases, the vehicles and narcotics were seized, and the drivers were taken into custody. The Hidalgo arrest was turned over to Homeland Security Investigations, while Starr County’s High Intensity Drug Trafficking Officers took over the case in Rio Grande City.
“These kinds of seizure underscore the reality of the drug threat and the importance of advancing our border security mission,” Port Director Carlos Rodriguez added.