CBP officers seize cheese wheels filled with nearly 18 pounds of cocaine

PRESIDIO, Texas (KVIA) -- Customs and Border Protection officers sized cheese wheels that contained nearly 18 pounds of cocaine in them on Thursday.

The seizure happened at the Presidio Port of Entry, which is almost 4 hours southeast of El Paso.

Officials say a pickup truck traveling from Mexico into the United States was referred to a secondary inspection lane. The cheese wheels were declared by the driver, who is a 22-year-old U.S. citizen.

The wheels were scanned by x-ray machines, which is when officers noticed anomalies within the dairy.

Seven bundles of cocaine, weighing in at 17.8 pounds, were found to be stuffed within the cheese wheels.

Daniel Mercado, director of the Presidio Port of Entry, says "smugglers will sometimes try to conceal contraband in items that appear innocent to deflect suspicion."

The driver of the truck was turned over to Homeland Security Investigations to face charges connected to the failed smuggling attempt.