Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) officers found a bit of a surprise in a shipment of wine and cheese Tuesday.
The CBP at the Port of New York/Newark seized approximately 35lbs. of cocaine from a black duffle bag inside a shipping container filled with wine and cheese.
The container arrived from Panama aboard the MSC Federica and contained 1,050 cartons of wine. When CBP officers selected the container for examination during a routine investigation, the container originated in Australia and was discharged in Panama.
CBP officers used a K-9 officer to alert them to the presence of narcotics. But, once they opened the duffel bag, they discovered duct-taped brick-shaped objects that tested positive for cocaine.
“The CBP officers assigned to the Port of New York/Newark take their responsibility of disrupting the flow of illicit narcotics to the United States very seriously,” said New York Field Operations Director, Robert E. Perez “This is just the latest example of CBP officers demonstrating vigilance, integrity and service to country.”
Looks like a lot of CBP officers have a sixth sense for spotting, not just wine, but illegal drugs, too.