PRESIDIO, Texas -- U.S. Customs and Border Protection Office of Field Operations officers working at the Presidio port of entry seized 25 pounds of cocaine Saturday morning. The drugs were concealed within the firewall area of a vehicle.
“This seizure reminds us all that a smuggler can be young or old, man or woman, traveling alone or with a family or be driving an old or new vehicle,” said Michael Neipert, CBP Presidio Port Director.
The seizure was made just after 3 a.m. Saturday at the Presidio international crossing when a female Mexican citizen driving a 2017 Kia Sportage applied for entry at the primary inspection station. The CBP primary officer referred the driver and vehicle to secondary for an intensive inspection.
In secondary the vehicle was scanned through the Z-Portal x-ray system where anomalies were observed behind the engine compartment of the vehicle. CBP officers drilled in the area of the anomalies resulting in a white powdery substance extracted. The substance field tested positive for the properties of cocaine. A total of 13 bundles were removed from a non-factory compartment.
CBP officers took custody of the 42-year-old woman and turned her over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), which is investigating the case
The seizure was one of a dozen made by CBP officers working at El Paso area ports of entry during the holiday weekend. They seized 378 pounds of marihuana, 27.3 pounds of cocaine, and 7.1 pounds of methamphetamine in those cases.
While anti-terrorism is the primary mission of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the inspection process at the ports of entry associated with this mission results in impressive numbers of enforcement actions in all categories.