Customs Officials Seize 800 Pounds of Cocaine
Customs officials found about 800 pounds of cocaine in the trunk of a car that sped off from a border inspection station Thursday, officials said.
Jose Alberto Barak, 42, of Thousand Palms was arrested after he led officers on a brief chase.
The suspect drove through the border crossing about 3 p.m. without stopping, officials said. He was apprehended when U.S. Customs officials threw a tire-deflation device under the wheels of the 1998 Dodge Intrepid as it sped off.
Inspectors found about 351 packages of cocaine weighing a total of 803 1/2 pounds in the car’s trunk. The drugs have a street value of about $80 million, officials said.
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