U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers busted a man attempting to smuggle 35 pounds of liquid cocaine inside of shampoo bottles at George Bush Intercontinental Airport on Monday.
The 26-year-old Colombian citizen was carrying 24 full-sized shampoo bottles filled with the illicit liquid narcotic valued at over $400,000 inside of his checked luggage, CBP confirmed in a release on Wednesday.
"Our officers are the first line of defense at our ports of entry, so they are trained in the various smuggling methods people use to bring illicit goods into the U.S.," said CBP Port Director Shawn Polley, in a statement. "We take every opportunity to intercept those illicit goods before they enter our communities, in this case it was 35 pounds of liquid cocaine."
Officers questioned the man as he retrieved his baggage from the luggage carousel, leading to a baggage exam. Later, a CBP K9 was called to the scene and indicated the presence of narcotics in the bottles. Officers then tested the substance, which came back positive for cocaine.
The man was sent back to Colombia while the drugs were subsequently seized and turned over to the Houston Police Department for further investigation.
The incident comes less than two months after a pair of South African Airways flight attendants were arrested by customs officials in Hong Kong for allegedly smuggling thousands of dollars worth of cocaine.
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