11/16/2009

News / Brownsville CBP Officers Intercept Vehicle Concealing $2.2 Million in Cocaine

Brownsville, Texas – U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers over the weekend at the Brownsville port of entry seized nearly $2.2 million in cocaine found within the floor of a Ford Escape; three women were arrested in connection with this enforcement action.

On November 13, at the Gateway International Bridge a CBP officer at primary inspection encountered three women in red Ford Escape. The CBP officer referred the 2001 Ford Escape driven by Paloma Jisela Chun, age 20, along with 22-year-old Eldif Deyamira Dominguez and Yesenia Alaniz, age 21, all U.S. citizens and residents of Houston, Texas for a secondary inspection. In secondary, “Franklin,” a narcotic detector dog, alerted officers to the odor of narcotics emanating from the SUV. CBP officers found inconsistencies to the rear floor of the Ford. An intensive examination of the vehicle revealed a total of 32 packages hidden within the man-made floor compartment. The 32 packages of cocaine had a combined weight of nearly 68 pounds.


The cocaine from this seizure has an estimated street value of close to $2.2 million. CBP officers arrested the three women and turned them over to the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement special agents who investigated the seizure and processed the trio on federal drug charges.


“A significant amount of cocaine was hidden in this vehicle; our officers used their training and knowledge gained from prior loads to detect and stop this smuggling attempt. This was a good interception of dangerous narcotics that will not reach our communities in the U.S.,” said Michael Freeman, CBP port director, Brownsville.

http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/newsroom/news_releases/11162009_2.xml

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