A border patrol vehicle stands parked near the U.S.-Mexico border on a sunny day in El Paso, Texas. (Joey Ingelhart / Getty Images)
By Michael Austin June 9, 2026 at 3:30am
U.S. Customs and Border Protection announced on Wednesday that they detained a 75-year-old American at the southern border with nearly half a million dollars of narcotics.
The elderly male, apprehended on May 22 at the Laredo Port of Entry, allegedly had $455,000 of cocaine and ketamine in his 2011 Volvo XC60, per a news release from the agency.
Officers used canines and a nonintrusive inspection system to reveal 14 packages, carrying almost 33 pounds of alleged cocaine and over 288 grams of alleged ketamine.
“This seizure of cocaine and ketamine at the Laredo Port of Entry demonstrates our ongoing commitment to protecting our communities from dangerous drugs and illicit activity,” Port Director Alberto Flores, Laredo Port of Entry, said in the release.
MAJOR DRUG SEIZURE.
A 75-year-old was arrested while trying to cross the border into the U.S. after @CBP officers discovered $455,822 worth of illegal narcotics in his car.
Under @POTUS Trump and @SecMullinDHS, we will continue working to keep these dangerous drugs OFF American… https://t.co/gM1nSkRcby
— Homeland Security (@DHSgov) May 27, 2026
“Our officers’ vigilance and dedication continue to play a critical role in safeguarding the border and preventing narcotics from reaching our streets.”
The release noted that both the car and the suspected narcotics were seized.
The driver was arrested by Homeland Security Investigations.
It’s not the first time an older man has been apprehended by federal immigration authorities with a vehicle full of narcotics.
Back in 2016, Customs and Border Protection seized over 700 pounds of marijuana, which were stashed under the false floor of a trailer.
The driver, a 63-year-old man from Glendale, Arizona, was hauling the trailer with a Dodge truck.
The drugs had a combined value of $351,000.
In 2011, U.S. Border Patrol agents arrested a 65-year-old — this time a Mexican national — in eastern San Diego County for trying to smuggle over 41 pounds of cocaine and crystal methamphetamine.
He was driving a 1998 Ford Windstar Minivan, and when an immigration inspection was conducted, he displayed a “nervous demeanor.”
Canines found several cellophane-wrapped bundles of crystal meth and cocaine in his glove box.
The cocaine had a street value of over $261,000, while the crystal meth had a value of over $277,000.
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Michael wrote for several entertainment news outlets before joining The Western Journal in 2020. He now serves as Managing Editor, which involves managing the editorial team and operations, guiding the publication’s editorial direction, and writing, editing, curating and assigning stories as needed.
Birthplace
Ames, Iowa
Nationality
American
Education
Iowa State University
Topics of Expertise
Cultural Politics, Pop Culture, Christian-Conservatism
