CBP officers find cocaine bundles hidden inside 4×4 truck’s differential
Customs and Border Protection officers seized a small load of cocaine hidden inside a 4×4 truck’s front differentials, officials said.
The seizure of 5.45 pounds of cocaine was made just after noon Thursday when a 2001 Chevrolet Silverado arrived at the Bridge of the Americas from Mexico.
CBP officers selected the vehicle for a more thorough exam and later noticed anomalies in the appearance of the undercarriage of the vehicle
A drug sniffing dog searched the vehicle and alerted officers to the presence of narcotics. An x-ray scan of the vehicle later identified a suspicious area in the front axle area of the truck. CBP officers learned the front differential contained 12 bundles of cocaine.
“Smugglers will try to conceal their contraband in any space they can find in a vehicle,” said Beverly Good, CBP El Paso Port Director. “CBP’s layered enforcement combining officer expertise, tools and technology, and canine support will often identify these smuggling attempts.
CBP officers took custody of the driver, a 23-year-old Mexican national, and turned him over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to face charges associated with the failed drug smuggling attempt.
