$11.8M worth of cocaine hidden in thousands of packages of baby wipes seized at U.S. border
(Cover photo: Packages containing nearly 1,533 pounds of cocaine seized by CBP officers in a tractor trailer at Colombia-Solidarity Bridge; Image credit: U.S. Customs and Border Protection)
On August 29, officers with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CPB) Office of Field Operations reported seizing approximately 1,500 pounds of cocaine with a street value estimated at more than $11,800,000 at the Colombia-Solidarity Bridge. The bridge connects Texas and the Mexican state of Nuevo Laredo over the Rio Grande, just north of Laredo, Texas, according to CNN.
“Officers assigned to CBP cargo facilities ensure effective border security by preventing and countering the flow of suspected narcotics entering the country,” said Port Director Alberto Flores, Laredo Port of Entry. “This seizure is a prime example of border security management and how it helps prevent dangerous narcotics from reaching our communities.”
The seizure occurred on Friday, August 26 at the Colombia-Solidarity Bridge when a CBP officer referred a 2016 Stoughton trailer manifesting a shipment of baby wipes for a secondary inspection. The truck was referred for a canine and non-intrusive inspection system examination, resulting in the discovery of 1,935 packages containing 1,532.65 pounds of alleged cocaine within the shipment.
The narcotics had an estimated street value of $11,818,400.
CBP seized the narcotics. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement-Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI) special agents are investigating the seizure.
(Source: U.S. Customs and Border Protection)
Posted by Richard Webster, Ace News Today / Follow Richard on Facebook and Twitter
