EAGLE PASS, Texas – U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers recently discovered over 26 pounds of alleged cocaine within the floor of a vehicle at the Eagle Pass Port of Entry.

“Smugglers will go to any extent to cross any sizeable drug load,” said Port Director John Brandt, Eagle Pass Port of Entry. “CBP officers used their training and experience to deter the shipment from making it to its intended destination.”

On June 30, the officers at the Eagle Pass International Bridge inspected a 2005 Jeep Cherokee, driven by a 19-year-old man, as it arrived from Mexico. Officers utilized a K-9 and a non-intrusive imaging system for inspection and discovered 14 packages of alleged narcotics within the floor of the vehicle. CBP officers retrieved a total of 26.32 pounds of alleged cocaine, with an estimated street value of $202,980.

CBP officers seized the vehicle and narcotics. The driver, a U.S. citizen who resides in Eagle Pass, was turned over to Homeland Security Investigations special agents for further investigation.

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.