Alamogordo, New Mexico - U.S. Border Patrol (USBP) agents at the U.S. Highway 54 immigration checkpoint in Alamogordo, seized fifty pounds of cocaine on Sunday. USBP checkpoints, a key component in our border security system, are designed to apprehend illegal aliens who have eluded border defenses and to break the human trafficking pipeline that leads from the border to the interior of the United States.
Due to their nature and location, checkpoints also lead to the discovery of other illegal activity.
Agents were conducting a routine immigration inspection of a 2020 gray Nissan Rogue, when they noted the driver’s excessively nervous behavior. A USBP canine performed a non-intrusive sniff of the vehicle and immediately alerted to the possible presence of narcotics.
Agents referred the vehicle for a thorough search and quickly located several plastic-wrapped bundles hidden in a duffle bag in the rear luggage area of the vehicle – a type of concealment often used by narcotics smugglers. The bundles contained approximately fifty pounds of cocaine with a street value exceeding $1,632,000.
USBP agents arrested the driver, a U.S. citizen, and turned the vehicle and cocaine over to the Drug Enforcement Administration.
“Our Border Patrol agents at immigration checkpoints are highly trained in identifying techniques used by smugglers to conceal their illicit cargo,” said interim El Paso Sector Chief Gloria Chavez. “I am extremely proud of the achievements of our agents and canine teams since the reopening of our checkpoints. Large seizures like this one contribute directly to the security of our border and interior communities.”
U.S. Customs and Border Protection welcomes assistance from the community. Citizens are encouraged to report suspicious activity to the U.S. Border Patrol, while remaining anonymous by calling 1-800-635-2509 toll-free.
It is important to note that an arrest should not be considered evidence of guilt, and subjects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.