Nearly 50 pounds of cocaine were found hidden in boxes of oranges at Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale in a shipment that came from the Dominican Republic, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials said.
A CBP K-9 alerted officers to the presence of illegal drugs and when the boxes were searched, they found about 46 and a half pounds of the white powder, officials said Wednesday. The powder field tested positive for cocaine and has a street value in the hundreds of thousands of dollars, officials said.
Images released by CBP showed the flat packages of cocaine appeared to have been concealed in the cardboard of the boxes.
"We are extremely proud of CBP's highly-trained and dedicated workforce continually adapting to respond to emerging threats and rapidly changing conditions," Acting Port Director Stephen Silvestri said in a statement. "CBP teams work tirelessly to detect illicit trafficking of people, drugs, weapons and currency while facilitating legitimate trade and travel."
