LAREDO, Texas—U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Office of Field Operations (OFO) at the Laredo Port of Entry seized narcotics valued at over $2.8 million in two separate, unrelated enforcement actions at both the World Trade and Colombia-Solidarity Bridges.
“The effort to secure our nation’s borders from illicit drugs is clearly illustrated in these interceptions. CBP continues to implement a robust border security enforcement posture which helps curb the flow of narcotics,” said Acting Port Director Eugene E. Crawford, Laredo Port of Entry.
seized by CBP officers at World Trade Bridge.
The first narcotics interception occurred on Tuesday, December 8th when CBP officers assigned to the World Trade Bridge cargo facility encountered a tractor trailer with a shipment of rolls of carpet. The 2008 Freightliner tractor and its shipment were referred for a canine and non-intrusive imaging system inspection, resulting in the discovery of 1,186 packages containing 7,704 pounds of alleged marijuana within the shipment. The narcotics have an estimated street value of $1,414,824.
The second narcotics seizure occurred on Wednesday, December 9th when CBP officers assigned to passenger operations at the Colombia-Solidarity Bridge encountered a privately owned vehicle traveling from Guanajuato, Mexico to Dallas, Texas. A 2003 Chevrolet Astro van was referred for a canine inspection, resulting in the discovery of 23 beer bottles totaling 73.1 pounds of alleged liquid methamphetamine hidden within baggage. The narcotics have an estimated street value of $1,462,091.
The narcotics combined have an estimated street value of $2,876,915.
CBP officers seized the narcotics. The cases were turned over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement-Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI) special agents for further investigation.
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