Latest news with #ArnieGomez
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Yahoo
Secret Compartments Exposed: How CBP Stopped Two Major Cocaine Smugglers
U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers stopped two more big cocaine smuggling attempts at Texas ports of entry this week, seizing a combined total of more than 43 pounds of white powder, with an estimated street value exceeding $800,000. At the Ysleta Port of Entry near El Paso, CBP officers on May 28 found 20 pounds of cocaine concealed within a vehicle driven by a 22-year-old U.S. citizen. Officers found some irregularities during an inspection of the car, leading to the discovery of hidden compartments in the dashboard hiding the cocaine. Meanwhile, at the Laredo Port of Entry, CBP officers seized 23 pounds of cocaine hidden in a 2010 Ford F-150 driven by a 51-year-old U.S. citizen. The incident occurred at the Juarez-Lincoln Bridge on May 26 after officers referred the vehicle for a secondary inspection and a canine alerted to the presence of narcotics. The packages, concealed in the vehicle's firewall and dashboard, had a street value estimated at $318,497. 'The combination of officer experience, canine enforcement, tools and technology all play a role in stopping drugs at our ports of entry,' said CBP Ysleta Port Director Arnie Gomez. 'This case illustrates how the various layers of enforcement CBP employs are an effective strategy in stopping contraband at the border.' Both cases are still under investigation by Homeland Security. These two cocaine busts last week in The Lone Star state are just a drop in the bucket. As previously reported by The Dallas Express, officers intercepted another cocaine smuggling operation near El Paso at the Bridge of the Americas last week. During that bust, 45.2 pounds of cocaine was discovered, enough to cause tens of thousands of overdoses. The drugs were hidden in a vehicle driven by a U.S. citizen on May 27. In total, officers uncovered 19 bundles of cocaine hidden in the vehicle's compartments and arrested the woman driving. She was then handed over to the El Paso County Sheriff's Office on felony charges.
Yahoo
15-04-2025
- Yahoo
CBP officers seize 120 pounds of meth in El Paso
EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers working at an El Paso port of entry seized nearly 120 pounds of methamphetamine over the weekend. CBP officers, working at the Ysleta international crossing, seized 119.3 pounds of methamphetamine on Friday, April 11. The drugs were hidden in a car being driven by a 32-year-old Mexican man, CBP said. 'This seizure represents the dedication of CBP employees who work hard every day to stop the flow of drugs from entering our communities,' said CBP Ysleta Port Director Arnie Gomez. The seizure was made just before 1 p.m. when a 2000 Jeep Cherokee with a single occupant arrived from Mexico. The primary CBP officer selected the vehicle for a secondary exam after a low-energy portal scan identified anomalies in the appearance of the vehicle, the CBP said. A CBP drug-sniffing dog searched the car and provided a positive alert to the rear of the car. CBP officers searched the vehicle and located 110 colorful bundles in the spare tire compartment. The contents of the packages tested positive for methamphetamine. CBP officers arrested the driver. He was turned over to Homeland Security Investigations special agents to face charges. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
