LAREDO, Texas — An unlucky smuggler watched his cargo go “down the drain” Oct. 2 when U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers discovered 13,744 pounds of alleged marijuana hidden in a shipment of toilets.
CBP officers stopped the 2015 Freightliner tractor-trailer, inbound from Mexico, at the World Trade Bridge and referred the vehicle for a canine and nonintrusive imaging system inspection. The inspection revealed more than just commodes — officers found 1,017 packages containing narcotics with an estimated street value of $2,748,404.
The alleged marijuana was seized by CBP, and the case was turned over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement-Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI) special agents for further investigation.
“As our frontline CBP officers at World Trade Bridge seek to facilitate lawful commerce in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, they maintain a robust enforcement posture and that vigilance and attention to detail resulted in the seizure of more than six and a half tons of marijuana hidden within the commodity,” said Andrew Douglas, acting port director for the Laredo Port of Entry.
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