CBP Seizes $737,000 in Cocaine, Arrests Two Subjects at Eagle Pass Port of Entry

Wednesday, April 11, 2007

Eagle Pass, Texas - U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Officers at the Eagle Pass Port of Entry seized $737,000 in cocaine and the enforcement action resulted in the arrest of two subjects from Piedras Negras, Mexico. The pair is scheduled to make their initial federal court appearance today.

CBP officers discovered the cocaine load during a routine inspection on April 9, 2007 at Bridge I. CBP officers referred a 2007 Jeep Liberty driven by Jose Luis Martinez Zolano, 43, a Mexican citizen from Piedras Negras, Coahuila, Mexico for a secondary examination. During the examination, CBP officers noticed discrepancies in the quarter panel area of the vehicle. A non-intrusive imaging system scan also indicated anomalies in the same area. Upon further examination, CBP officers discovered packages containing 23 pounds of cocaine in the quarter panels. The cocaine has an estimated street value of $737,000. CBP officers arrested Martinez Zolano and passenger Rosaura Aurora Diaz Zamora, 40, a Mexican citizen from Piedras Negras, Coahuila, Mexico on federal conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance charges and turned the pair over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) special agents who investigated the seizure. Martinez Zolano and Diaz Zamora are scheduled to make their initial appearance before a federal magistrate in Del Rio today.