HIDALGO, Texas—U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Office of Field Operations (OFO) officers at the Hidalgo International Bridge arrested a 25-year-old man from Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico after discovering $167,000 worth of cocaine hidden in the vehicle he was driving.
“This compact but significant interception of hard narcotics demonstrates our officers’ continued resolve and commitment towards the CBP mission of keeping drugs out of our country,” said Port Director Sylvia Briones, Hidalgo/Pharr/Anzalduas Port of Entry.
CBP officers working at the Hidalgo-Reynosa International Bridge on April 11, referred a man and the black 2002 Ford Sport Trac SUV he was driving for further inspection upon arriving from Mexico. A secondary examination which included the assistance of a (canine team), resulted in the discovery of 16 packages of alleged cocaine weighing 21.70 pounds (9.84 kg) concealed within the SUV.
CBP OFO seized the cocaine, the vehicle and arrested the Monterrey native who was ultimately turned over to the custody of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents. The case remains under investigation.