Pubdate: Fri, 05 Mar 1999 Source: PR Newswire Copyright: 1999 PR Newswire CUSTOMS SEIZES 1,020 POUNDS OF COCAINE AT BRIDGE Second Coke Load Nabbed With X-ray at Bridge of the Americas Cargo Lot EL PASO, Texas, March 5 /PRNewswire/ -- U.S. Customs Service inspectors at the Bridge of the Americas (BOTA) made a huge cocaine seizure late Wednesday night. Customs inspectors confiscated 1,020 pounds of cocaine while performing a special operation in which inspectors and canine officers examine arriving vehicles in the queuing area before they reach the primary inspection booth. The seizure was made during the pre-primary operation. The driver of a white Ford Explorer that was waiting in the line of traffic abandoned the vehicle when inspectors performing the operation approached. The driver fled on foot to Mexico. Customs inspectors searched the vehicle and found that it contained 188 cocaine-filled bundles. Customs special agents are investigating the case. Anyone with information is encouraged to call Customs at 915-633-7200 or 1-800- BE-ALERT. "Customs officers are consistently running special enforcement operations designed to keep smugglers off balance. In this case, it appears the driver thought he had a better chance fleeing than facing the scrutiny of the pre-primary inspection before him," said Customs Acting El Paso Port Director Manny Alvarez. "This is a huge amount of cocaine to be confiscated in one seizure." The massive cocaine seizure came hours after Customs inspectors at the BOTA cargo lot made another large cocaine seizure. An X-ray machine designed to help U.S. Customs Service inspectors determine if commercial vehicles are carrying illegal narcotics proved its worth Wednesday morning when it helped pinpoint a 213.5 pound load of cocaine. Customs Service inspectors found the illegal drugs hidden in the front tires of a 1984 Kenworth Tractor. Customs inspectors were searching the tractor when they noticed that the tires seemed solid. Customs drug sniffing dog "Rex" also alerted to the front tires while searching the tractor. The vehicle was sent through the $3.5 million full cargo X-ray machine. Customs inspectors viewing an X-ray image of the truck spotted packages in the front tires. The tires were disassembled and inspectors removed 52 cocaine-filled bundles. In addition to the cocaine seizures, Customs inspectors working in cargo lots in the West Texas/New Mexico area have made 11 other marijuana seizures totaling just under 5,200 pounds of the illegal weed in the first five months of fiscal year 1999. In all of fiscal year 1998, area Customs inspectors made eight marijuana seizures totaling 5, 970 pounds in cargo lots in El Paso, Presidio, Columbus and Santa Teresa. "West Texas and New Mexico Customs officers working in the cargo environment have been hard at work trying to detect drug loads hidden in commercial vehicles. At this time, their efforts lead all southwest border Customs locations in drug seizures made in cargo," said West Texas/New Mexico Customs Management Center Director of Operations Gurdit Dhillon. Customs special agents arrested the driver of the tractor in connection with the smuggling attempt. He is 38-year-old Faustino Garcia-Islas of Chihuahua City, Mexico. - --- MAP posted-by: Rich O'Grady