see also: in March 2002:   U.S. Customs Inspectors Seize a Quarter of a Million Dollars in Hidalgo; Two Arrested   Customs Officers Seize 58,925 Tablets of Ecstasy And Arrest Man at Miami International Airport   U.S. Customs, 10 Foreign Countries, Serve Multiple Search Warrants on Internet Child Pornography Ring   U.S. Customs Inspectors in Eagle Pass Make Seven Marijuana Seizures in 72 Hours   U.S. Customs Service Inspectors Seize 298 Pounds of Cocaine in Port of Miami   U.S. Customs Inspectors in Roma Seize $3.8 Million in Cocaine Over Five-Day Period ...more on cbp.gov: High tech inspection systems hit ports this year (U.S. Customs Today, March 2000)

contacts for this news release

New Orleans, LA -- United States Customs Service Special Agent in Charge Katherine M. Schulte and Customs Port Director Todd Owen announced today the seizure of over 160 pounds of pure cocaine from an outbound container at the Nashville Avenue Wharf.

U.S. Customs agents and inspectors teamed with personnel from the Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Coast Guard and Louisiana National Guard to conduct a routine inspection of shipping containers transiting the United States as they were being shipped from Colombia to Mexico.

Using drug sniffing canines and the Vehicle and Cargo Inspection System (VACIS), a special U.S. Customs imaging machine, agents discovered two duffel bags full of cocaine in the rear section of a container. The bags were mixed among a legitimate shipment of cleaning supplies. The cocaine has a wholesale value of $1.3 million. No arrests were made and the investigation is continuing.

Since the terrorist attacks of September 11, the U.S. Customs Service has continued to remain on the highest level of alert. The inspection of general cargo passing through the Port of New Orleans is a top priority.