Officials said crossing the Brownsville and Matamoros Bridge on Diez y Seis de Septembre was no celebration for a 42-year-old Mexican national, after authorities said they found more than 23 pounds of cocaine hidden inside the 2011 Jeep Liberty he was driving on Sept. 16.
Diez y Seis de Septembre is Mexico’s Independence Day.
Victor Hugo Martinez Perez appeared Monday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Ignancio Torteya III, who ordered he be held without bond pending his next court appearance, scheduled for Sept. 23.
According to a federal criminal complaint, Martinez was trying cross his vehicle at the bridge when U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers noticed tampering to the vehicle’s undercarriage.
Martinez’s vehicle was referred to a secondary inspection area at the bridge where officers discovered an anomaly in the center console area, the federal criminal complaint states. A canine search of the Jeep Liberty resulted in a positive alert on drugs.
The federal criminal complaint stated a physical inspection of the vehicle lead to the discovery of a trap door and “aftermarket compartment under the floor carpet.” Once the officers gained access to the compartment, they found 10 individually wrapped bundles which tested positive for cocaine.
During a post-Miranda interview with the officers, Martinez admitted he was transporting the drugs into the United States for monetary gain, the federal criminal complaint states.
