CBP Officers Find 36 Pounds Of Cocaine

 In Vehicle Bumper And Glove Box At Southern California Port



Calexico, CA. - U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers working at the Calexico downtown port of entry discovered 36 pounds of cocaine hidden inside a brown 2001 Maroon Saturn.

The seizure occurred on Sunday, October 16, at about 10:15 p.m. when a CBP officer conducting inspections of vehicles and travelers referred the driver, a 19-year-old female Mexican citizen, for further examination.

An intensive inspection that included a canine screening led officers to the discovery of two wrapped packages of the narcotic concealed inside the dashboard behind the glove box. An additional 12 packages were discovered in the rear bumper of the vehicle. All packages combined have a street value of approximately $324,000.

The driver, a resident of Brawley, California, was arrested for the alleged narcotic smuggling attempt and was turned over to the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents who in turn transported the violator to the Imperial County Jail where she currently awaits arraignment.

CBP placed an immigration hold on the Mexican citizen to initiate removal from the United States at the conclusion of her criminal proceeding.

CBP seized the narcotic and vehicle.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection is the unified border agency within the Department of Homeland Security charged with the management, control and protection of our nation's borders at and between the official ports of entry. CBP is charged with keeping terrorists and terrorist weapons out of the country while enforcing hundreds of U.S. laws.