EL PASO, Texas (Border Report) — A 63-year-old Mexican man is accused of smuggling nearly 30 pounds of heroin across the border into Texas on Sunday.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers stopped the individual when he tried to enter the U.S. in a 2008 Chrysler Voyager via the Juarez-Lincoln International Bridge in Laredo, Texas.
Officers said they referred the driver to a secondary inspection, where they used X-ray technology and a drug-sniffing dog to look for contraband.
CBP said the officers found within the vehicle 12 packages of what was determined to be more than half a million dollars worth of heroin.
In all, officers seized 29.05 pounds of the drug with a street value of $557,237.
Laredo Port Director Alberto Flores called it a “significant hard narcotics interception,” and credited his officers for their inspection skills and use of the latest technology.
“Seizures like these exemplify our steadfast commitment to CBP’s border security mission,” Flores said.
CBP said officers seized the narcotics and vehicle. Special agents with Homeland Security Investigations arrested the driver and are investigating the case.
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