SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) seized Tuesday 135 pounds (61.25 kilos) of cocaine concealed inside a refrigerated container that arrived from the Dominican Republic. The estimated value of the seized narcotics is $1.5 million.
“Transnational criminal organizations continue to test our inspection capabilities by being very creative in the concealment methods”, stated Gregory Alvarez, Director of Field Operations in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. “Our officers’ expertise, along with technology, facilitates the detection and seizure of these dangerous substances.”
During inspection of containers arriving from Caucedo, Dominican Republic on board the M/V AS Patria, the CBP Contraband Enforcement Team made a more intrusive inspection of a refrigerated container.
Inside the container, officers found 52 brick shaped objects with white powdery substance that field-tested positive to the properties of cocaine.
Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) took custody of the seized narcotics for further investigation.
CBP’s mission is to safeguard America’s borders thereby protecting the public from dangerous people and materials while enhancing the Nation’s global economic competitiveness by enabling legitimate trade and travel.