Jan. 27 (UPI) — U.S. Customs and Border Protection announced Monday that officers confiscated more than $1.4 million worth of cocaine in two seizures at the U.S.-Mexico border.
The first seizure took place Friday at the Brownsville and Matamoros International Bridge with CBP seizing 40 hidden packages with more than 91 pounds of what appeared to be cocaine inside a 2008 Toyota entering the United States. The driver was a 22-year-old female U.S. citizen who lives in McAllen, Texas.
The Brownsville and Matamoros, or Gateway International Bridge, is one of a trio of international bridges on the U.S.-Mexico border between the cities of Brownsville, Texas, and Matamoros, Tamaulipas.
The second seizure Friday also took place at the Gateway International Bridge, where a 27-year-old male Mexican citizen attempted to enter the United States in a 2014 Chevrolet. Upon a secondary inspection, CBP officers found several packages containing nearly 16 pounds of suspected cocaine.
Officers seized the narcotics and the vehicles. Homeland Security Investigations special agents arrested both drivers.
“Our CBP officers work diligently to keep our borders secure and use many law enforcement tools to perform their duties which led to these significant drug seizures,” said port director Tater Ortiz at the Brownsville Port of Entry.
The estimated street value of the cocaine from the first seizure was approximately $1,221,005. The street value from the second seizure was $211,350.
Last month, CBP officers seized 16 jugs containing more than 757 pounds of methamphetamine at the Laredo, Texas, border crossing. The meth was valued at more than $6.96 million.