CBP seizes $246K in cocaine

CBP seizes $246K in cocaine

U.S. Customs and Border Protection arrested a man from Tamaulipas for trying to drive a minivan with more than $246,000 in cocaine through an international bridge, officials said.

Victor Hugo Ramirez Jimenez, 33, was arrested Wednesday afternoon at B&M International Bridge and later charged with one count of possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute and one count of conspiracy to posses with intent to distribute, court records show.

The arrest took place when Ramirez drove a 1996 Chrysler Town and Country to an inspection booth and was referred to a secondary inspection area, said an agency press release.

At the secondary inspection area, CBP officers used high-tech equipment to reveal a hidden compartment on the minivan’s floor, records show.

Misha, a drug detecting canine confirmed officer’s suspicions by alerting officers to the presence of narcotics, CBP said.

Inside the hidden compartment, officers found three packages containing approximately 8 pounds of cocaine, the release said.

The street value of the drugs is estimated at more than $246,000, CBP said.