CBP Officers stop cocaine smuggling attempt at Ysleta port

EL PASO, Texas – U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers working at the Ysleta port of entry seized 20.1 pounds of cocaine May 28. The drugs were hidden in a vehicle being driven by a 22-year-old male U.S. citizen.

“The combination of officer experience, canine enforcement, tools and technology all play a role in stopping drugs at our ports of entry,” said CBP Ysleta Port Director Arnie Gomez. “This case illustrates how the various layers of enforcement CBP employs are an effective strategy in stopping contraband at the border.”

The events leading to the seizure began just before 9 a.m. when a 2015 Dodge Ram with a single male occupant arrived from Mexico. A CBP officer working at the primary inspection booth selected the vehicle for a secondary exam after a low energy portal scan revealed anomalies in the appearance of the truck. A CBP drug sniffing dog also alerted to the presence of narcotics during a sweep of traffic as vehicles were approaching the primary inspection area.

A nonintrusive x-ray scan of the car confirmed the presence of anomalies in the firewall and dashboard area of the truck. CBP officers continued their exam and removed eight bundles from the hidden compartment. The contents of the packages tested positive for cocaine.

CBP officers arrested the man. He was turned over to Homeland Security Investigations special agents to face 21 U.S. Code § 952 - importation of controlled substances charges.

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.