Customs officers seize $372K worth of cocaine from 2 vehicles at US-Mexico border

LAREDO, Texas — Customs officials seized more than $372,000 worth of cocaine from two vehicles several hours apart at the U.S.-Mexico border, authorities said.

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In a Friday news release, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection said that officers at Laredo Port of Entry confiscated the narcotics at the Gateway to the Americas International Bridge in Laredo.

According to the release, officers referred a passenger vehicle for a secondary inspection. Agents discovered six packages of cocaine weighing 13.84 pounds. The drugs were hidden inside Easter boxes, officials said.

Another passenger vehicle was referred for a secondary inspection several hours later, according to the release. Customs officials discovered another six packages of cocaine that weighed 14 pounds. They were also hidden within Easter boxes.

The street value of the drugs seized had a combined street value of $372,659, officials said.

“Our frontline officers continue to maintain vigilance while examining trusted traveler traffic, adhering to the adage “trust, but verify,” Albert Flores, director for the Laredo Port of Entry, said in a statement. “Their use of inspections experience, skills and technology led to these two back-to-back seizures.”