Feb. 19 (UPI) -- U.S. Customs and Border Protection made major confiscations of narcotics and cocaine in vehicles at the border with Mexico last week, including $1 million worth of in cocaine each in California and Texas.
The three seizures in California included 1,500 pounds of narcotics and cocaine. In Texas, two seizures in one day totaled 75 pounds of cocaine worth $1,009,600.
CBP officers inspected vehicles coming from Mexico in the two incidents on Saturday at the Hidalgo/Pharr/Anzalduas Port of Entry in Texas and three within a week at the Tecate Port of Entry in California,
Inspections included utilizing non-intrusive inspection equipment and screening by a canine team.
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The narcotics and vehicles were seized.
Homeland Security Investigations arrested the drivers and began criminal investigations.'
California
"All CBP components are vital assets to our counternarcotics operations and provide proficient layers of enforcement," Rosa E. Hernandez, port director of the Otay Mesa and Tecate Ports of Entry, said in a news release. "Our staff is dedicated to the mission and will continue to protect our communities and stop the growth of transnational criminal organizations by applying officer's skills and tools in our layered enforcement approach."
The first incident occurred on Feb. 11 at the Tecate Port of Entry when CBP officers encountered a 72-year-old male driving a red SUV.
CBP officers extracted 100 packages concealed within the vehicle's doors, fenders and spare tire. The contents of the packages were tested and identified as methamphetamine that weighed 302 pounds.
The second incident was Feb. 13, at the Tecate Cargo Facility when CBP officers encountered a 30-year-old man driving a black tractor-trailer seeking entry into the United States from Mexico.
A total of 770 pounds of narcotics were extracted. Thirty-seven packages weighing 697 pounds tested positive for methamphetamine weighing 697 pounds and 28 packages weighing 73 pounds tested positive for cocaine.
On Monday, Tecate's commercial facility referred a white tractor-trailer for a non-intrusive inspection. Further examination of the tractor-trailer resulted in the discovery of 38 packages in the floor of the flatbed trailer.
The contents of the packages weighed in at 437 pounds and tested positive for methamphetamine.
Texas
"Our CBP officers used teamwork and all available resources to thwart these back-to-back narcotic smuggling attempts," Port Director Carlos Rodriguez at the Hidalgo/Pharr/Anzalduas Port of Entry, said in a news release about the two incidents.
The agents are assigned to the Anzalduas and Hidalgo International Bridges as part of the Laredo, Texas, office.
Agents at the International Bridge encountered a Chevrolet SUV entering from Mexico.
After the inspection, they extracted 20 packages of alleged cocaine weighing 46.16 pounds concealed within the vehicle.
Hours later, officers assigned to the Hidalgo International Bridge encountered a black Nissan sedan entering from Mexico.
After the inspection, they found 12 packages of alleged cocaine weighing 29.45 pounds concealed within the vehicle.
