Del Rio, Texas - U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers in Eagle Pass seized a commercial shipment of furniture Friday after finding the merchandise was laden with $889,000 worth of marijuana.

“This was a rather creative, yet ill-advised attempt to smuggle contraband into the United States,” said Cynthia O. Rodriguez, CBP Port Director, Eagle Pass. “Our CBP officers are highly trained and equipped with state-of-the-art tools. We are dedicated to keeping illegal drugs from entering the country.”

CBP officers working the Camino Real International Bridge referred a tractor-trailer rig carrying wooden furniture for intensive inspection after the load arrived at the commercial vehicle inspection facility. Scans by a non-intrusive imaging system revealed anomalies in the furniture, prompting officers to off-load the cargo for a closer look. Drilling into the suspect areas of the furniture, officers found packages of marijuana hidden inside. Officers removed 808 packages of marijuana, weighing a total of 889 pounds, from the furniture.

The Office of Field Operations is the primary organization within U.S. Customs and Border Protection tasked with an anti-terrorism mission at our nation’s ports. CBP officers screen all people, vehicles and goods entering the U.S. while facilitating the flow of legitimate trade and travel. Their mission also includes carrying out border-related duties, including narcotics interdiction, enforcing immigration and trade laws, and protecting the nation's food supply and agriculture industry from pests and diseases.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection is the unified border agency within the Department of Homeland Security charged with the management, control and protection of our nation's borders at and between the official ports of entry. CBP is charged with keeping terrorists and terrorist weapons out of the country while enforcing hundreds of U.S. laws.