U.S. Customs and Border Protection detained a 50-year-old American man with four children in his car Sunday after officers allegedly found nine pounds of cocaine in his vehicle, the agency said in a press release.
The announcement said that CBP officers found about $460,300 worth of cocaine and marijuana in three separate searches in recent days.
CBP reported that officers at the Gateway International Bridge stopped a man of West Beach, Fla., driving a 2002 Volkswagen Jetta and accompanied by four children and three dogs. Officers searched the vehicle, CBP said, and found 12 hidden packages of cocaine.
There were also two arrests at the B&M International Bridge Saturday, the news release said.
CBP officers found 16 packages of marijuana totaling 97 pounds hidden in a 2000 Chevrolet Blazer driven by a 52-year-old Mexican man who lived in Brownsville, the release said.
In the other case, officers found 32 packages of marijuana totaling 62.5 pounds in a 1998 Ford Windstar driven by a 40-year-old Matamoros man.
The two loads of marijuana were worth a combined total of approximately $159,500, the CBP release said. The cocaine has an estimated street value of approximately $300,800, officials said.
The three suspects were turned over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement-Homeland Security Investigations special agents for further investigation.
CBP seized the narcotics and the vehicles, the release said.