A 26-year-old Colombian national was arrested Tuesday at George Bush Intercontinental Airport after attempting to smuggle into the United States 35 pounds of liquid cocaine inside shampoo bottles in his checked luggage, federal authorities said.
Officers with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection on Tuesday questioned the man, who was not identified, as he was grabbing his checked baggage from the luggage carousel, according to a CBP news release.
After speaking with the man, officers searched his luggage and discovered 24 full-size plastic, colorful shampoo bottles that concealed liquid cocaine worth more than $400,000.
A K-9 unit examined the bottles and alerted officers to the presence of narcotics inside the shampoo bottles, according to the release.
When the substance was tested, officers learned that the bottles actually contained cocaine. The man was deported to Colombia and the narcotics were seized and handed over to the Houston Police Department.
“Our officers are the first line of defense at our ports of entry, so they are trained in the various smuggling methods people use to bring illicit goods into the U.S.,” said Shawn Polley, CBP port director, in a statement.
“We take every opportunity to intercept those illicit goods before they enter our communities, in this case, it was 35 pounds of liquid cocaine."
Transnational criminal organizations continue to find ways to attempt to smuggle narcotics into the country, a CBP spokeswoman said via email.
"Using shampoo, children’s toys, and different foods to mask the drug is typical," Yolanda Choates said. "Houston has also found cocaine concealed within wrapped candy and tacos."
In 2018, CBP officers processed over 1 million passengers around the country and intercepted more than 4,600 pounds of narcotics, she said.
Michelle Iracheta is a digital reporter in Houston. Read her on our breaking news site, Chron.com, and on our subscriber site, houstonchronicle.com. | [email protected]
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