Texas CBP Officers Seize More than $300K in Cocaine over Memorial Day Weekend

(Tuesday, May 31, 2011)contacts for this news releaseHidalgo, Texas – U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at the Hidalgo/Reynosa International Bridge seized approximately 11.9 pounds of cocaine this weekend. The estimated street value of the cocaine is $383,776.On May 27, CBP officers working at the Hidalgo/Reynosa International Bridge came in contact with a northbound 2009 Volkswagen Bora sedan. After the initial primary inspection, the vehicle and male driver were referred to secondary for further inspection. While in secondary, CBP officers seized six packages of alleged cocaine discovered within the vehicle’s dashboard area. In addition to seizing the alleged cocaine, they also seized the VW Bora sedan.A 29-year-old Mexican citizen from Reynosa, Tamaulipas, Mexico was transferred to the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Homeland Security Investigations for further investigation.“Our frontline officers continue doing great enforcement work and so far in recent months have seized several cocaine drug loads. I commend our officers for their work in securing our nation’s borders and for preventing these types of contraband from entering our country,” said Efrain Solis, Jr., CBP Acting Port Director, Hidalgo/Pharr.U.S. Customs and Border Protection is the unified border agency within the Department of Homeland Security charged with the management, control and protection of our nation's borders at and between the official ports of entry. CBP is charged with keeping terrorists and terrorist weapons out of the country while enforcing hundreds of U.S. laws.