Authorities said anomalies to the front passenger side of a Ford Fiesta led to the discovery of 22 pounds of cocaine a Brownsville man tried to smuggle from Mexico into the United States.
Oziel Treviño Jr., 27, is in federal custody following his arrest on drug smuggling charges. He made his initial appearance Monday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Ignacio Torteya III, who ordered he be held without bond. His next court appearance is scheduled for March 3.
According to a federal criminal complaint, Treviño confessed to authorities he was going to be paid for smuggling the cocaine into the U.S.
The incident happened Friday at the Gateway International Bridge in Brownsville. The complaint states Treviño was driving a Ford Fiesta across the bridge and was ordered to undergo a secondary inspection. It was during this second inspection U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers noticed anomalies to the passenger side of the vehicle, the complaint states.
Upon further investigation of the car, the officers discovered 10 bundles of cocaine which weighed 10.14 kilograms, or 22 pounds.
During a post-Miranda interview with Homeland Security Investigations agents, Treviño admitted to smuggling the cocaine in exchange for monetary gain, the complaint read.
