October 26, 09

NEWS / CBP Officers in Brownsville Intercept Close to $1 Million in Cocaine

Brownsville, Texas – U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at the Brownsville and Matamoros International Bridge discovered more than $963,000 in cocaine hidden within the walls of a Pontiac Grand Am; one Mexican citizen was arrested.


On Thursday, October 22, CBP officers at the Brownsville and Matamoros International Bridge referred a white 2000 Pontiac Grand Am driven by Rosaura Lopez Jimenez, a 22-year-old Mexican citizen and resident of Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico for a secondary inspection.

In secondary, CBP officers’ inspection of the car resulted in the discovery of two man-made compartments within the walls of the Pontiac Grand Am. “Sunny,” a narcotic detector dog, further alerted officers to the odor of narcotics emanating from the compartments. An intensive inspection of the vehicle by CBP officers revealed 16 packages of narcotics. The 16 packages contained a total of more than 30 pounds of cocaine.


The cocaine from this seizure has an estimated street value of more than $963,000. The driver was arrested by CBP officers and turned over to the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement special agents who investigated the seizure and processed the driver on federal drug charges.


“Brownsville CBP officers’ skills and training again contribute to the interception of these dangerous narcotics. Our officers along with the use of our canine partner discovered and seized this load of drugs. I congratulate our officers for a job well done,” said Michael Freeman, CBP port director, Brownsville.

http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/newsroom/news_releases/10232009_5.xml