Federal officers found close to $984,000 in cocaine at two South Texas bridges last weekend. The two busts happened one day apart.

Together, the stops pulled nearly 74 pounds of cocaine off the road. Officers took both cars too.

Donald R. Kusser runs the CBP Laredo Field Office. He praised his team.

"These back-to-back cocaine seizures at different ports of entry within the Laredo Field Office area of responsibility underscore not only the reality of the drug threat we face daily, but our officers' keen ability to apply inspection experience and technology to take down these drug loads," Kusser said.

The first bust was Friday, June 12, in Laredo. Officers stopped a 2020 Nissan Frontier pickup at the Colombia-Solidarity Bridge. The driver was a 56-year-old man from Mexico.

A drug dog and an X-ray scan checked the truck. Both found something wrong. Officers pulled out 20 packages hidden inside. The packages held 50.75 pounds of cocaine. Street value: $677,617.

The second bust came the next day, Saturday, June 13, in Eagle Pass. An officer stopped a 2015 Toyota Camry at the Camino Real Bridge. The driver was a 53-year-old man from Mexico.

A scan found 13 packages inside the car. They held 22.97 pounds of cocaine. Street value: $306,723.

Homeland Security agents arrested both men. They now have two open cases.

The Colombia-Solidarity Bridge is one of the busiest in Laredo. It links the U.S. to Colombia, Nuevo Leon. The Camino Real Bridge is a busy crossing in Eagle Pass. Both see thousands of cars every day.

CBP uses drug dogs, X-ray machines, and extra check lanes at both bridges. The Laredo Field Office covers multiple crossings in Laredo and Eagle Pass.

When a drug load is found, agents test and weigh it. Federal agents take the case. The car is seized too.

Both men face federal drug charges. No names have been released. Agents want to know who sent the drugs and where they were going.

CBP has not said if the two busts are linked. But the timing is striking. One day apart. Same region. Same method. HSI agents are checking for any tie between the cases.

South Texas ports caught hundreds of millions in drugs last year. In Laredo alone, officers check tens of thousands of cars every day. Each crossing is a chance to stop drugs before they hit U.S. streets.

CBP officers say cocaine is one of the top drugs seized at South Texas bridges. Smugglers hide it in cars, trucks, and hidden spots built into the frame. The X-ray machines help find loads the eye cannot see.

Laredo is one of the top trade ports on the U.S.-Mexico border. Millions of legal crossings happen there each year. But some people try to mix drug loads in with that traffic. Officers say that is exactly why constant checks count.

HSI is the federal unit that handles drug drug cases at the border. They work with CBP on major finds like this one. Once a case goes to HSI, it can grow into a bigger probe of who is running the drugs.

No court dates have been set yet. The cases will move through the federal court system in Laredo and Del Rio. A guilty verdict can mean years in federal prison.

El Tejano will keep tracking this case as more details come out.

The Laredo area sits right on the Rio Grande. Cartels have used it as a key drug route for decades. CBP officers there see all kinds of tricks. Hidden panels. Fake gas tanks. Drugs mixed in with other cargo.

Drug dogs are trained to smell cocaine even when it is packed tight. The dog at the Colombia-Solidarity Bridge hit on the Nissan Frontier before the X-ray scan backed it up. That combo, nose plus machine, is one of CBP's strongest tools.

Ports of entry are legal crossings with officers present. They are different from the open border between ports. Most drug seizures in South Texas happen at these legal crossings. That means some of the biggest busts come from routine traffic stops.

Both the Nissan Frontier and the Toyota Camry are now in federal custody. Drug loads and vehicles seized at the border are not returned. They may be used as evidence or sold off later.

People in South Texas feel the effects of drug traffic every day. Drugs that slip through can end up in local towns. Busts like this one stop a load before it gets that far.

CBP thanked the public for supporting their work at the border. Officers work day and night shifts to keep up with the volume of crossings.