An Eagle Pass cocaine seizure has halted a major smuggling attempt at the Texas-Mexico border, with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers uncovering more than $491,000 worth of cocaine hidden inside a passenger vehicle.
On April 2, officers stationed at the Camino Real International Bridge referred a 2014 Ford pickup truck for a secondary inspection. The vehicle was driven by a 57-year-old woman, a Mexican national. During the inspection, officers used a combination of nonintrusive scanning equipment and a trained canine unit to inspect the truck thoroughly.
Their efforts paid off. Hidden within the vehicle, they discovered 16 packages containing a total of 36.81 pounds (16.70 kilograms) of cocaine. Officials estimate the street value of the drugs to be approximately $491,581.
“Our frontline CBP officers applied their inspection skills, training, and technology and seized a compact but significant amount of cocaine,” said Pete Beattie, Port Director at the Eagle Pass Port of Entry. “Seizures like these reinforce CBP’s border security mission and aptly illustrate that attempts to bring in controlled substances can result in serious criminal consequences.”
Following the seizure, CBP’s Office of Field Operations took custody of both the narcotics and the vehicle. Homeland Security Investigations agents arrested the driver and launched a criminal investigation into the smuggling attempt.
This Eagle Pass cocaine seizure highlights the critical role frontline officers play in preventing drug trafficking at ports of entry. With the use of advanced detection tools and collaborative law enforcement efforts, CBP continues to disrupt efforts by criminal organizations to move narcotics into the United States.
3 April 2025
