CBP Atlanta Intercepts 20 Pounds of Cocaine

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Officers on duty at Hartsfield- Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) finished out 2019 by seizing 20 pounds of cocaine during recent smuggling attempts. These seizures included:

• November 27, CBP officers intercepted just under three pounds of cocaine in a bag with a traveler who arrived from Jamaica.
• November 30, CBP officers uncovered just under seven pounds of cocaine in a false sided bag on a traveler who arrived from Brazil.
• December 11, CBP officers inspected a leftover bag on a flight from Jamaica and discovered more than seven pounds of cocaine that was packaged inside bags of coffee.
• December 23, CBP officers intercepted over three pounds of cocaine that was packaged inside coffee bags with a traveler who arrived from Jamaica.

Collectively, the cocaine had an estimated street value of about $280,000.

The enforcement of our nation’s laws by our officers at U.S. ports of entry like ATL are paramount in the fight to intercept harmful drugs from abroad and to keep them from impacting our communities,” said Paula Rivera, Port Director Atlanta.

Customs and Border Protection officers, along with U.S. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) special agents assumed custody of the seized cocaine for further investigation and prosecution.

On average, CBP seized 4,657 pounds of narcotics every day in 2018 at and between our nation’s 328 ports of entry. Learn more about what CBP did during “A Typical Day” in 2018.

CBP’s mission is to safeguard America’s borders thereby protecting the public from dangerous people and materials while enhancing the nation’s global economic competitiveness by enabling legitimate trade and travel.