Cristian Gerardo Gonzalez Caught Smuggling $2.8 Million In Cocaine

U.S. Customs and Border Protection Field Operations officers at the Brownsville and Matamoros International Bridge discovered $2.8 million in cocaine hidden within the tires of a Ford Expedition; one U.S. citizen was arrested.

On Thursday at 7:27 p.m., at the Brownsville and Matamoros International Bridge, CBP Field Operations officers referred a white 1997 Ford Expedition driven by Cristian Gerardo Gonzalez, a 23-year-old U.S. citizen and resident of Brownsville, Texas for a secondary inspection. Passengers in the Expedition were Gonzalez’s wife and their three minor children.

Close to 87 pounds of cocaine is discovered concealed in the tires of a vehicle in Brownsville.

During the examination, CBP Field Operations officers noted discrepancies to the tires of the Ford Expedition. “Pascal,” a narcotic detector dog, alerted CBP Field Operations officers to the odor of narcotics emanating from the Ford Expedition. CBP Field Operations officers’ intensive inspection of the Ford Expedition revealed 36 packages with a combined weight of more than 87 pounds of cocaine hidden within the tires of the Ford Expedition.

The cocaine from this seizure has an estimated street value of $2.8 million. The driver was arrested by CBP Field Operations officers and turned over to the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) special agents who investigated the seizure and will process the driver on federal drug charges. Gonzalez’s wife and kids were released.