C.B.P. News Release

CBP Seizes Half Ton of Cocaine Hidden in Coffee Shipment

(Thursday, July 09, 2009)

New Orleans — Smugglers looking for an extra kick in their coffee are going to be disappointed as U. S. Customs and Border Protection officers at the Port of New Orleans Monday sized almost a half ton of cocaine commingled with bags of Colombian coffee.

Officers utilized a variety of enforcement tools including high-tech scanning technology to make this seizure possible. Using the scanning equipment, CBP officers discovered anomalies in the coffee shipment that indicated possible contraband.

A subsequent physical inspection of the cargo revealed 15 duffel bags containing 400 packages of cocaine weighing 994 pounds inserted above the cargo. The vessel, the MSC Luisa, was laded in Cristobal, Panama.

“The cocaine seized by our officers has a street value of approximately $9 million and in this instance, their hard work and dedication is keeping dangerous drugs off the streets of our nation,â€