LAREDO, Texas—U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Office of Field Operations (OFO) officers at the World Trade Bridge seized marijuana with a street value of over $2.5 million that was found within a commercial trailer.
“The ever-growing volume of cargo traffic processed at the port has made it a target for drug trafficking organizations, who are boldly attempting to smuggle illegal contraband through commercial consignments,” said Port Director Gregory Alvarez, Laredo Port of Entry.
The seizure occurred on Monday, June 15, when CBP officers assigned to the cargo facility encountered a commercial shipment of mattresses arriving from Mexico. The 2013 Freightliner tractor and shipment was referred for a canine and non-intrusive imaging system inspection, resulting in the discovery of 1,344 packages containing 12,738 pounds of alleged marijuana concealed within the commodity.
The narcotics have an estimated street value of $2,547,635.
CBP seized the narcotics. The case was turned over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement-Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI) special agents for further investigation.
