U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at the Gateway to the Americas Bridge started 2013 with two heroin seizures that when combined added up to $1 million worth of heroin.
The first seizure occurred on Saturday, January 5, when a 22-year-old male US citizen from Northlake, Illinois arrived at the bridges port of entry from Mexico driving a 2007 Dodge Caliber. The discovery of 19 packages of alleged heroine weighting 24 pounds occurred when the driver and vehicle were referred to CBP secondary examination.
The second seizure occurred on the same day at the bridges port of entry from Mexico when CBP officers encountered a 1999 Jeep Cherokee SUV that was driven by a 33-year-old male US citizen from Aurora, Illinois. The driver and the occupants in the vehicle were referred to the intensive inspection area, where six packages containing eight pounds of alleged heroine were found inside the SUV.
The two drivers were arrested and turned over to Homeland Security Investigations special agents for further investigation.
Sidney K. Aki, CBP Port Director, Laredo, Texas Port of Entry stated, “As CBP officers managed the daunting challenge of processing the high volume of travelers returning to the U.S. from their visits to Mexico for the holiday season, CBP officers maintained their enforcement posture. The interception of these two significant narcotics seizures is a testament to their dedication and commitment in fulfilling the CBP mission.”
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