Skip to main content

An official website of the United States government

Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock ( ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

  1. Home
  2. Newsroom
  3. Local Media Release
  4. CBP Officers Seize $306K Worth of Cocaine in Two Narcotics Seizures at Gateway International Bridge

CBP Officers Seize $306K Worth of Cocaine in Two Narcotics Seizures at Gateway International Bridge

Release Date
Tue, 09/27/2022

BROWNSVILLE, Texas — U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers at the Gateway International Bridge intercepted alleged narcotics in two separate enforcement actions that have a combined estimated street value of $306,427.

“Every drug seizure big or small helps keep our borders secure and is one less load that reaches our streets,” said Port Director Tater Ortiz, Brownsville Port of Entry.

Packages containing more than 20 pounds of cocaine seized by CBP officers at Brownsville Port of Entry.
Packages containing more than 20 pounds of cocaine seized by CBP officers at Brownsville Port of Entry.

The first seizure took place on Wednesday, Sept. 21, at the Gateway International Bridge when a 25-year-old male Mexican citizen who resides in Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico, attempted entry into the United States driving a 2014 Ford. The vehicle was referred to CBP secondary for further examination after a primary inspection. While in the secondary inspection area, with the aid of a non-intrusive inspection system (NII) and a canine unit, CBP officers discovered one package hidden within the vehicle. CBP officers removed the package which contained a total of 2.31 pounds of alleged cocaine.

The second seizure took place on Saturday, Sept. 24, also at the Gateway International Bridge when a 40-year-old female United States citizen who resides in Brownsville, Texas, attempted entry into the United States driving a 2009 Chevrolet. The vehicle was referred to CBP secondary for further examination after a primary inspection. While in the secondary inspection area, with the aid of a non-intrusive inspection system (NII) and a canine unit, CBP officers discovered nine packages hidden within the vehicle. CBP officers removed the packages which contained a total of 20.63 pounds of alleged cocaine.

The estimated street value of the narcotics from the seizures is approximately $30,907 and $275,520, respectively.

CBP officers seized the narcotics along with the vehicles, arrested the drivers and turned them over to the custody of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) special agents for further investigation.

For more information about CBP, please click on the attached link. 

Follow the Director of CBP’s Laredo Field Office on Twitter at@DFOLaredo and also U.S. Customs and Border Protection at@CBPSouthTexas for breaking news, current events, human interest stories and photos.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection is the unified border agency within the Department of Homeland Security charged with the comprehensive management, control, and protection of our nation’s borders, combining customs, immigration, border security, and agricultural protection at and between official ports of entry.

Last Modified: Sep 27, 2022