CBP agents seize more than 10 hidden cocaine packages

CBP officer (Credit: Photo by CHANDAN KHANNA/AFP via Getty Images)

ALABAMA – Criminals trying to smuggle drugs into the U.S. are always trying new and somewhat creative ways to evade Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents. Earlier this year, CBP agents intercepted 629 pounds of methamphetamine hidden in a shipment of celery.

Regardless of whether it is hidden in food shipments or elsewhere, agents working at ports of entry and airports continue to track down drug smugglers using a variety of methods.

Another such case occurred last month at George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, where CBP agents noticed unusually large cushions on a motorized wheelchair, according to Border Report. Their suspicions proved correct when a drug-sniffing dog alerted officers to the presence of narcotics inside.

The motorized wheelchair also had a metal compartment that did not appear to be factory made and did not match the seat frame. After officers investigated, they found 11 packages of cocaine weighing just under 27 pounds hidden in the backrest and seat.

CBP Acting Area Port Director Kayla Gonzalez praised the agency’s efforts to “protect the border and keep Americans safe.”

“Cocaine is a deadly, dangerous drug and trafficking in these poisons fuels increased violence, money laundering and other criminal activities that threaten our security and local communities,” she said.

It’s been a busy year for CBP officials and Department of Homeland Security agents in terms of drug seizures. So far this year, authorities have seized the largest quantity of drugs ever seized at a U.S. port of entry when they seized more than six tons of methamphetamine in February. And last month, CBP conducted the largest fentanyl bust in the agency’s history, seizing nearly 4 million blue fentanyl pills.

The largest amount of cocaine seized this year occurred in August at the Port of Entry in Rio Grande City, when agents found 228 pounds of cocaine worth more than $3 million hidden in a commercial tractor-trailer.

After securing the cocaine packages, CBP said the Drug Enforcement Administration and other law enforcement agencies across the United States have seen an increase in seizures and overdose cases involving cocaine mixed with fentanyl. As fiscal year 2024 ended on October 1, CBP had seized just over 60 kilos of cocaine at and between ports of entry.

Recently released data from CBP showed a 27% decrease in fentanyl seizures between FY 2023 and FY 2024. Most of the 44 pounds of fentanyl seized last year was at ports of entry.