U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents recently confiscated 146 pounds of cocaine hidden in a commercial ice cream maker, the agency announced Thursday.
Officers intercepted a 1995 Ford F-150 pickup truck upon entering the United States from Mexico on Monday, according to a CBP news release. They took an X-ray of the vehicle in question and discovered “anomalies” before a customs canine alerted the officers to an ice cream machine. The incident took place at the Bridge of the Americas port in El Paso, Texas.
DESANTIS TO UNVEIL HIS IMMIGRATION POLICY WHILE AT TEXAS BORDER
Shortly after they found 56 bundles of cocaine within the walls of the large equipment, the agents detained the driver and handed him over to local Texas police. Border Patrol then seized the narcotics and vehicle.
“The vast majority of commercial shipments CBP officers process pose little risk; however, seizures like this remind us all that drugs can be concealed almost anywhere and that we must remain constantly vigilant,” said Luis Mejia, the acting CBP El Paso port director.
Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC), one of the many candidates running in the 2024 GOP primary race, cited the incident as another example of the growing border crisis in America.
This time, Border Patrol stopped these deadly drugs from slipping across the border. But too often, they pour undetected into our country. We need my Securing Our Border Act and state of the art technology to keep this poison out of our communities.https://t.co/L6NNLYuwVB
— Tim Scott (@SenatorTimScott) June 23, 2023
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In late April, Scott introduced the Securing Our Border Act to Congress, which would strengthen security measures along the southern border if passed. The bill includes an initial proposal of $15 billion used to fund the endeavor.
The Washington Examiner previously reported that Border Patrol seized over $2.1 million worth of cocaine in Del Rio, Texas, over two months ago.