Agents make cocaine seizure at San Luis port

The Yuma Sun
FROM STAFF REPORTS
Nov 17, 2005

U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at the U.S. Port of Entry at San Luis seized 61 pounds of cocaine Wednesday — the third cocaine seizure in a month.

CBP spokesman Brian Levin said officers are not doing anything differently during inspections but the frequency and size of cocaine seizures are definitely up.

"It's looking like it's going to be a banner year," he said.

At 10:20 a.m. Wednesday, an officer questioning the driver of a 2004 Chevrolet Avalanche noted discrepancies in the driver's answers and requested an intensive inspection of the vehicle, according to a CBP release. A trained CBP dog, Nelo, sniffed the truck and alerted agents to the vehicle.

Officers then used an X-ray to scan the vehicle and found 25 packages of cocaine hidden inside. The driver was arrested and turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.

On Nov. 3, 45 pounds of cocaine was seized at the port, and 60 pounds was found Oct. 15. The three seizures have a street value of $1.5 million.

"There's no particular reason I can attribute it to," Levin said of the increased seizures. "I'm sure that's something that our officers are looking into."

During fiscal year 2004, officers seized more than 700 pounds of cocaine at the port of entry, according to CBP.

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