Eagle Pass Enforcement Team Seizes Cocaine at Port of Entry

EAGLE PASS, Texas – Federal authorities at the Eagle Pass Port of Entry intercepted a load of cocaine with a street value in excess of $700,000 Tuesday morning.

“The Eagle Pass Enforcement Team is made up of U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers from the Port of Entry and U.S. Border Patrol agents,” said John Brandt, CBP Acting Port Director, Eagle Pass. “They bring together unique skill sets that allow us to maximize our effectiveness.”

“Preventing narcotics from entering the country at our ports of entry is one of U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s key missions.”

Around 9:30 a.m. Tuesday, the Enforcement Team, at Eagle Pass Bridge I, inspected a 2004 Dodge Durango as it arrived from Mexico. After a CBP canine alerted to the possible presence of contraband in the vehicle, officers performed an intensive search using a non-intrusive imaging system. Following the search, officers seized 10 packages wrapped in black electrical tape from a hidden compartment. The packages contained a total of 24.64 pounds of cocaine, with an estimated value of $789,888.

The driver of the vehicle, a 24-year-old Piedras Negras, Mexico man, was turned over to Homeland Security Investigations for federal prosecution.

The Office of Field Operations is the primary organization within U.S. Customs and Border Protection tasked with an anti-terrorism mission at our nation’s ports. CBP officers screen all people, vehicles and goods entering the United States while facilitating the flow of legitimate trade and travel. Their mission also includes carrying out border-related duties, including narcotics interdiction, enforcing immigration and trade laws, and protecting the nation’s food supply and agriculture industry from pests and diseases.

Working together, the Office of Field Operations and U.S. Border Patrol are integral to the South Texas Campaign, which leverages federal, state and local resources to combat transnational criminal organizations.