A tractor-trailer rolling through Laredo’s World Trade Bridge with a load of roses turned out to be carrying far more than flowers, according to federal customs officers. CBP says agents uncovered 211 packages inside the trailer, totaling about 516 pounds of cocaine, an amount the agency estimated at roughly $6.8 million. Homeland Security Investigations has opened a criminal probe, and authorities did not immediately announce any arrests. The seizure went down during what started as a routine secondary inspection at the busy commercial crossing.
According to FOX 7 Austin, CBP officers sent the truck to secondary inspection on Tuesday after the manifest listed "roses/fresh flowers." Inside the trailer, agents found 211 packages that together weighed about 516 pounds, which CBP estimated has a street value near $6.8 million. The agency told FOX 7 Austin that Homeland Security investigations are underway and that it had not yet disclosed whether anyone was arrested.
Port Director Alberto Flores praised the stop, telling FOX 7 Austin that "the discovery within a shipment of roses demonstrates the vigilance and expertise of our officers." He credited their training, canine teams and non-intrusive inspection technology with helping officers zero in on the hidden load.
Hidden Bouquets: A Familiar Tactic
Flower loads have become a familiar cover for smugglers trying to move drugs through the World Trade Bridge. In December 2023, CBP detailed another seizure at the same crossing, where officers found more than 1,100 pounds of methamphetamine and cocaine inside a trailer that was also manifesting cut flowers. That earlier bust, described by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, underscored how traffickers tuck narcotics among legitimate cargo. Homeland Security Investigations handled the criminal inquiry in that case as well.
Seizures Climbing In The Laredo Region
The latest flower-truck bust is part of a broader surge in interdictions across CBP’s Laredo Field Office. Officers reported more than 71,700 pounds of narcotics seized during fiscal 2025, a 62% increase from the prior year. Officials told the Laredo Morning Times that ramped-up use of non-intrusive scanners and more targeted inspections have driven many of the recent large hauls. Port leaders say the numbers reflect both more resources devoted to drug interdiction and sharper targeting at major crossings.
For now, the truck and contraband remain in federal custody while HSI agents keep digging into the case and work to trace the shipment’s origin and destination. The World Trade Bridge, one of the nation’s busiest commercial crossings, remains open as inspections continue. U.S. Customs and Border Protection posts port contact and operational information for the Laredo Port of Entry online.
