September 20, 2007  Brownsville, Texas
CBP agents find 13 kilograms of cocaine in an abandoned van

U.S. Customs and Border Protection Border Patrol agents yesterday seized more than $1 million in cocaine yesterday in Brownsville, Texas.

The seizure occurred on September 20, when Border Patrol agents assigned to the Brownsville Border Patrol station responded to a suspicious vehicle that had been spotted by the Remote Video Surveillance System operator.

When the agents arrived in the area, they observed the vehicle in question, a dark colored mini van, near the River Bend Golf Course. As agents approached the vehicle, the driver drove south, where he abandoned the vehicle and fled into Mexico by wading across the Rio Grande River. A search of the abandoned vehicle revealed 13 bundles of cocaine weighing 32.6 pounds. The total value of the cocaine is estimated at $1,043,200.

The Border Patrol seized the vehicle and the narcotics were turned over to the Drug Enforcement Administration.

To report suspicious activity, contact the Rio Grande Valley Border Patrol sectors' toll free telephone number at 1-800-863-9382.

Source: US Customs