U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers at the Hidalgo International Bridge intercepted cocaine valued at $739,000 concealed in a vehicle. The incident occurred on May 14 during outbound enforcement operations when officers encountered a Chevrolet SUV driven by a 40-year-old male Mexican citizen attempting to leave the U.S. for Mexico.
Port Director Carlos Rodriguez of the Hidalgo/Pharr/Anzalduas Port of Entry stated, “CBP officers used all tools and resources to thwart this smuggling attempt.” The inspection process involved non-intrusive inspection equipment and a canine team, which led to the discovery of 23 packages of alleged cocaine weighing 55.38 pounds (25.12 kg).
The narcotics and vehicle were seized by CBP Office of Field Operations (OFO). Homeland Security Investigations special agents arrested the driver and initiated a criminal investigation.
For updates, follow the Director of CBP’s Laredo Field Office on X at @DFOLaredo, on Instagram at @dfolaredo, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection at @CBPSouthTexas.
CBP is described as America's frontline, being the nation's largest law enforcement organization and the world's first unified border management agency with over 65,000 personnel dedicated to protecting America across various domains while facilitating lawful travel and trade.
