CBP Officers at Calexico Downtown Port Seize Half a Million Worth of Cocaine

(Thursday, January 15, 2009)

Calexico, Calif. - U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at the Calexico downtown port of entry seized cocaine worth more than $500,000, on Wednesday, officials announced today.

The enforcement action occurred at about 4 a.m., when a 25-year-old male U.S. citizen and a 24-year-old female U.S. citizen traveling in a silver 2006 Chevrolet Cavalier with California license plates were escorted to the secondary examination area after a detector dog alerted to the vehicle during a pre-primary enforcement operation.

During the secondary examination, further inspection of the vehicle resulted in the discovery of 23 wrapped packages of cocaine concealed inside a specialty built compartment in the vehicle’s dashboard area. The total weight of the narcotics seized was 63 pounds.

The driver and passenger, both residents of Brawley, were arrested for the alleged narcotic smuggling attempt. The narcotic and vehicle were seized by CBP.

http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/newsroom/new ... 2009_7.xml

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.