MOBILE, Alabama—A Guatemalan man was arrested by Border Patrol agents on Thursday for smuggling 10.47 pounds of cocaine, worth approximately $335,134.47, on Interstate 10 near Mobile.
The arrest took place after the agents, with assistance from Mobile County Sheriff’s deputies, conducted a vehicle stop. The driver was traveling eastbound in a 2020 Dodge Caravan.
Bricks of cocaine were stashed in the spare tire of the vehicle.
During the vehicle stop, agents noticed nervous behaviors and several inconsistencies in the driver’s story. The on-scene Border Patrol K9 alerted to potential hidden contraband. Further investigation by the Sheriff’s Deputy yielded the discovery of four bricks of cocaine concealed in a spare tire.
The alleged smuggler is a 44 year old Guatemalan national in the United States on a visitor visa. The driver, cocaine, and minivan were turned over to Homeland Security Investigations New Orleans.
To prevent the illicit smuggling of humans, drugs, and other contraband, the U.S. Border Patrol maintains a high level of vigilance on corridors of egress away from our Nation’s borders. New Orleans Sector protects the nation as a line of defense when contraband and illegal border crossers move east through the deep south after their entry along the southwest border.
