CBP Officers stop big cocaine load at El Paso port

EL PASO, TEXAS – U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers working at the Paso Del Norte international crossing in El Paso seized 94.5 pounds of cocaine April 17. The drugs were hidden in a vehicle being driven by a 29-year-old Mexican woman.

“The attention to detail demonstrated by a single CBP officer resulted in this seizure,” said CBP El Paso Port Director Ray Provencio. “Because of the efforts of the CBP workforce a large amount of cocaine did not reach its intended destination. That’s a win for us all.”

The events leading to the seizure began just after 10 a.m. when a 2018 Nissan Sentra with a single female occupant arrived from Mexico. A CBP officer working at the primary inspection booth noted anomalies in the appearance of the car and directed the vehicle to the secondary inspection area.

A nonintrusive x-ray scan of the car confirmed the presence of anomalies in the floor. A CBP drug-sniffing dog searched the car and alerted officers to the presence of narcotics.

CBP officers continued their exam and located 36 bundles concealed in a floor compartment. The contents of the packages tested positive for cocaine.

CBP officers arrested the woman. She was turned over to the El Paso County Sheriff’s office to face charges associated with the failed smuggling attempt.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is America's frontline: the nation's largest law enforcement organization and the world's first unified border management agency. The 65,000+ men and women of CBP protect America on the ground, in the air, and on the seas. We facilitate safe, lawful travel and trade and ensure our country's economic prosperity. We enhance the nation's security through innovation, intelligence, collaboration, and trust.