PHARR, TX – Officers with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) at the Pharr International Bridge arrested a young woman from Pharr, Texas after detecting narcotics valued at approximately $1,747,000 within the vehicle she was driving.
“I commend our frontline officers for their dedication and commitment towards the interdiction of illegal narcotics, helping CBP Field Operations continue with our mission of hindering this illicit flow of dangerous drugs at the border,” said Efrain Solis Jr., Port Director, Hidalgo/Pharr/Anzalduas.
The seizure/arrest occurred on Tuesday morning, February 25, at the Pharr-Reynosa International Bridge after CBP officers encountered a grey 2002 Ford Taurus driven by an 18-year-old female United States citizen. The driver presented a U.S. birth certificate and Texas identification card to a CBP officer who then referred her and the Taurus to secondary for further inspection. In the process of examining the vehicle, officers discovered packages of suspected narcotics hidden within the Ford, which later were determined to be alleged cocaine and methamphetamine. CBP removed and seized 15 packages of cocaine weighing approximately 37.86 pounds, 11 packages of methamphetamine weighing approximately 16.71 pounds and seized the Ford as well. The estimated street value for the cocaine is $1,212,000 and $535,000 for the methamphetamine.
CBP arrested the woman and subsequently released her to the custody of Homeland Security Investigations agents for further investigation.
