299 pounds of marijuana seized at international bridge

U.S. Customs and Border Protection Office of Field Operation officers seized 299 pounds of marijuana Thursday.

The drugs were seized at three different times on Thursday at the Paso Del Norte international bridge.

The estimated street value of the marijuana is $239,200.

“The smuggling threat remains high and CBP officers are working hard every day to identify and stop all violators that use our border crossings,” said Hector Mancha, CBP El Paso Port Director. “The examinations and queries performed by CBP uncover drug smugglers, illegal immigrants, fugitives and other threats to our nation on a daily basis.”

The largest of the seizures happened at about 1 p.m. Thursday.

CBP officers and U.S. Border Patrol agents were performing a sweep of arriving vehicles when a Border Patrol agent selected a 1998 Chevrolet Tahoe for additional scrutiny. An agent noted several issues with the truck and that the driver was nervous.

CBP drug sniffing dog “Meri” searched the vehicle and alerted the agent to a tire. CBP officers initiated a thorough exam and found that smugglers had fabricated marijuana-filled metal collars and attached them to the rims of the vehicle. CBP officers removed 136 pounds of marijuana from hidden compartments.

CBP officers arrested the driver, 35-year-old Oscar Ruelas Lopez, of Torreon, Mexico.

He was turned over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement HSI special agents to face charges associated with the smuggling attempt.