Border Officers Seize 2 Loads Of Cocaine

A drug-sniffing dog named Rico alerted U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers to 29 pounds of cocaine hidden in the gas tank of a 2003 Chevrolet S-10 pickup Sunday afternoon at the Ysleta Port of Entry, officials said.

During a secondary inspection of the truck, CBP officers took X-rays of the vehicle, which they say showed an anomaly in the appearance of the fuel tank. Officers removed 24 cocaine-filled bundles from the fuel tank.

Officers detained 28-year-old Juan Alvarez Avalos of Moreno Valley, Calif., who was turned over to Homeland Security Investigations special agents. Alvarez Avalos was arrested on suspicion importation of a controlled substance and possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, both federal offenses.

On Friday afternoon, a drug-sniffing dog named Zigo alerted officers to 29 pounds of cocaine hidden in the gas tank of a 1985 Chevrolet Blazer. Officers found 12 cocaine-filled bundles from the fuel tank.

Jorge Muniz Nava, 36, of Juarez, was arrested on suspicion importation of a controlled substance and possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance

CBP officers also made four marijuana seizures totaling 329 pounds of marijuana in El Paso and outlying ports of entry during the weekend