September 12, 2007  Progreso, Texas
Customs finds 24 kilos of cocaine in the tires of a vehicle

U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at the Progreso port of entry on Wednesday discovered 57 pounds of cocaine in the tires of a car attempting to enter the U.S. The drugs were valued at $1.8 million and the driver of the car was arrested.

At approximately 3 p.m. Wednesday, CBP officers at the Progreso Bridge referred a 2005 Toyota Camry being driven by Ricardo Diaz, a 32-year-old U.S. citizen from Alamo, Texas for a secondary examination. During the examination, CBP officers detected discrepancies with the vehicle's tires.

Utilizing a non-intrusive imaging system, a scan of the vehicle revealed anomalies within all four tires of the car. Upon further examination of the tires and a closer visual inspection, CBP officers discovered packages encased within the four tires of the automobile.

A total of 24 packages containing 57 pounds of cocaine were removed. The cocaine has an estimated value of $1.8 million.

CBP officers arrested the driver on federal drug violations and turned him over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement special agents who investigated the seizure. The vehicle was seized.

"This seizure is reflective of what a winning combination our officers' keen intuition and the ability to use our technology tools can be in carrying out our enforcement efforts and stop illegal narcotics from entering our country," said Noel Sanchez, CBP port director, Progreso.

Source: US Customs