Man arrested for smuggling cocaine through Hidalgo port of entry on Easter Sunday

Hidalgo Port of Entry is seen in this undated photo. (Courtesy: CBP)

U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers arrested a Mexican citizen on Easter Sunday after they discovered nearly 64 pounds of cocaine concealed within the gas tank of his vehicle, according to a criminal complaint.

Christian Eduardo Quezada-Valdez was charged with illegal importation of a controlled substance, specifically approximately 64 pounds of cocaine.

At about 8:14 a.m., Quezada-Valdez attempted to enter the United States through the Hidalgo Port of Entry in a black GMC Terrain before being referred to a secondary inspection area.

After being X-rayed by a z-portal machine, officers noticed several anomalies in the gas tank of the vehicle which was taken for further inspection, according to the complaint.

One officer recognized the vehicle from a prior encounter on Thursday where they noticed the vehicle smelled strongly of gasoline. The officer had marked the bolts in the surrounding area near the gas tank, but noticed the marks were no longer there, “which was indicative of the gas tank being removed after the encounter,” the complaint said.

Officers also noticed tampering to the straps that support the gas tank, which was removed. It was then they noticed packages of narcotics inside the gas tank.

About 24 packages were extracted from the gas tank, according to the complaint.

In an interview with Homeland Security Investigations special agents, Quezada-Valdez said that the Terrain belonged to him and initially stated he was coming into the U.S. to go shopping at Walmart in McAllen, but then changed his story.

Quezada-Valdez stated that on April 14, a group of men told him to go to the mechanic shop and leave his vehicle there for a few days. Quezada-Valdez picked up his vehicle on Saturday.

The same group of men then told him to go about his normal routine shopping at Wal-Mart, but to park his car in a secluded area of the parking lot and to leave his keys in a cup holder.

Quezada-Valdez said that the idea of narcotics being inside his vehicle had crossed his mind.

He made his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Juan F. Alanis Monday morning.

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