Watch Now


Border agents seize $500K of cocaine hidden in truck hauling cotton candy

Cocaine had street value of $496,879, according to Customs and Border Protection

U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers seized nearly $500,000 worth of cocaine squirreled away in a semitruck hauling cotton candy in Texas. (Photo: U.S. Customs and Border Protection)

U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers seized nearly $500,000 worth of cocaine squirreled away in a semitruck hauling cotton candy in Texas.

Authorities found the drugs Thursday at World Trade Bridge in Laredo when an officer referred a truck hauling a shipment of cotton candy for secondary inspection, the agency announced in a news release.

Officers used dogs to find the stash, which they said contained 15 packages containing a total of 37 pounds of cocaine. The drugs had a street value of $496,879, officers said. 

“Our frontline officers continue to maintain resolute vigilance, and that dedication to the mission coupled with an effective use of technology resulted in the interception of a significant amount of cocaine,” Laredo Port of Entry Director Albert Flores said in the release. “Seizures like these reinforce the importance and necessity of our ongoing border security mission.”


Department of Homeland Security agents are investigating. 

A border patrol spokesman wouldn’t say if any arrests had been made in the case.

Brinley Hineman

Brinley Hineman covers general assignment news. She previously worked for the USA TODAY Network, Newsday and The Messenger. She is a graduate of Middle Tennessee State University and is from West Virginia. She lives in Brooklyn with her poodle Franklin.