EL PASO, Texas — Customs officers seized more than 172 pounds of cocaine on Wednesday with an estimated street value of more than $5.5 million, authorities said.
According to a news release from U.S. Customs and Border Protection, officers working at the Ysleta Port of Entry Cargo Facility in El Paso, Texas, intercepted the narcotics on Jan. 3.
The agency said that a 56-year-old Mexican citizen driving a box truck with a manifest of plastic rolls was referred to a secondary inspection by customs agents, the release stated.
After screening by a canine team and an X-ray, customs officers located 64 bundles containing 176.2 pounds of cocaine.
The narcotics and conveyance were seized by customs agents, according to the release.
“This significant seizure is an example of the vigilance and commitment by our CBP officers to the narcotic interdiction mission,” Arnoldo Gomez, the Ysleta Port Director, said in a statement. “CBP officer expertise, canines and technology are all important elements in stemming the flow of contraband.”
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