HIDALGO, Texas—U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Office of Field Operations (OFO) at the Hidalgo International Bridge recently arrested a 23-year-old man from Nuevo Leon, Monterrey, Mexico after detecting $500,000 worth of cocaine in the vehicle he was driving. CBP also arrested a woman from Georgia after discovering she had a child in her vehicle that did not possess legal documentation to enter the United States.
“Our officers’ outstanding observational skills and inspection techniques resulted in the discovery of these failed smuggling attempts at our border crossing,” said Port Director Carlos Rodriguez., Hidalgo/Pharr/Anzalduas Port of Entry. “People encountered under these circumstances will face the fullest punishment allowed by law.”
seized by CBP officers at Hidalgo International
Bridge.
On August 21, a man from Monterrey arrived at the Hidalgo-Reynosa International Bridge driving a silver 2003 Honda Pilot and was referred for a secondary inspection. With the use of non-intrusive imaging technology (NII), officers discovered and removed 25 packages of alleged cocaine weighing approximately 60 pounds (26.30 kg). CBP OFO seized the narcotics and the vehicle as well.
That same day, CBP officers referred a 30-year-old woman and her three children for further inspection and after further investigation, officers discovered that one of the children was not her child. CBP officers determined that a 13-year-old girl was not related to the woman and was in fact a citizen of Mexico without valid documents to enter or reside in the United States legally.
CBP OFO arrested both individuals and the man was released to the custody of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) for further investigation. The woman was held pending an appearance before a U.S. federal magistrate, on charges of alleged violation of U.S. immigration law. Her other children were released to a family member.
For more information on the immigration inspection process, visit this link on CBP.gov, Immigration Inspection Program.