CBP Port of San Luis officers seizes over 67 pounds of cocaine
SAN LUIS, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) - Officers with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) seized over 67 pounds of cocaine on Sunday.
According to CBP, the incident happened at 4:45am at the Area Port of San Luis when they encountered a 59-year-old woman, who was a SENTRI member and a U.S. citizen, driving a Toyota SUV.
When officers referred the woman for further examination, CBP says officers screened the SUV, using "non-intrusive technology," which revealed "anomalies in the rear section of the vehicle," prompting a K-9 unit to respond.
After that, CBP said the unit was "alerted to the presence of narcotics," which they found and recovered "25 packages concealed within the rear doors and quarter panels of the vehicle," which tested positive for cocaine "with a total weight of 67.64 pounds," and with an estimated street value of $722,518.
"The use of SENTRI is a privilege, but participants are not exempt from inspection. We will continue to utilize multiple layers of inspection not only to expedite travel but to also appropriately scrutinize these Trusted Traveler lanes," said Chris Leon, Area Port Director for San Luis.
Following the inspection, CBP says officers seized the drugs and SUV while the woman was "turned over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations."
