U.S. Customs and Border Protection on Friday discovered cocaine hidden inside two wooden tortilla pressers.
Following the discovery of 10-and-a-half pounds of the drug, CBP charged Gerardo Vasquez with the illegal importation of a controlled substance.
Vasquez, a U.S. citizen born in 1993, made a first appearance on the charge Tuesday in McAllen federal court in front of U.S. Magistrate Judge J. Scott Hacker, who ordered him temporarily held without bond pending a detention hearing scheduled for later this week.
CBP discovered the drugs after Vasquez arrived at the Hidalgo Port of Entry and was referred for a secondary inspection, which is where a canine alerted to his vehicle, according to a criminal complaint.
“Officers also conducted a density reading on the wooden tortilla pressers which showed different densities along different portions of the wooden tortilla pressers,” the complaint stated.
An X-ray further revealed anomalies and a physical inspection resulted in the discover of four packages of cocaine.
During an interview after his arrest, the complaint said Vasquez provided inconsistent statements before admitting to the smuggling attempt.
However, he said he did not know what type of drug he was smuggling and expected to be paid $1,000, according to the complaint.
