At the World Trade Bridge in Laredo, Texas, federal officers say they intercepted a flower truck carrying what they describe as 190,000 lethal doses of cocaine, worth $6,800,000. The seizure is documented in a recent press statement, but key details about suspects, charges, and trafficking networks have not been publicly outlined.
TLDR
Customs officers at Laredo’s World Trade Bridge report seizing 516.76 pounds of alleged cocaine hidden in a flower shipment, with Homeland Security Investigations now probing the case, and Texas officers separately arresting fugitives wanted on warrants for alleged child sex crimes.
Drug Shipment Intercepted at Commercial Bridge
According to Fox News, citing a U.S. Customs and Border Protection press release, officers at the Laredo Port of Entry referred a 2018 T3 International tractor-trailer for additional inspection at the World Trade Bridge during the week of Valentine’s Day. The commercial vehicle was reportedly carrying roses and other fresh flowers.
During the secondary inspection, CBP says officers used a canine unit and a nonintrusive inspection system to examine the load. That combination of tools is standard at major ports of entry, where officers are expected to balance trade flows with narcotics enforcement.
The inspection led to the discovery of 211 packages concealed within the shipment. In the release described by Fox News, CBP characterized the contents as alleged cocaine with a total weight of 516.76 pounds.
CBP officials estimated the street value of the narcotics at $6,800,000 and framed the quantity as equivalent to 190,000 lethal doses. The agency did not publicly explain its methodology for converting weight into notional doses or for projecting value, which can vary across markets and purity levels.
In the statement quoted by Fox News, Laredo Port of Entry Director Alberto Flores tied the seizure to broader border security messaging. He said the large load highlighted the “steadfast dedication of our officers in safeguarding our borders and communities from the threat of illicit drug trafficking.” He added that the discovery inside a shipment of roses showed the “vigilance and expertise of our officers.”
SEIZURE | Almost $7 million in cocaine was discovered in a shipment of roses by Border Patrol agents in Laredo on Tuesday. https://t.co/8vVk9gGyUe pic.twitter.com/gadkn3txQu
— News 4 San Antonio (@News4SA) February 14, 2026
CBP reported that Homeland Security Investigations special agents are now leading the follow-up investigation. HSI typically handles the deeper criminal probe into smuggling organizations, financial flows, and potential co-conspirators once a seizure is made at a port of entry.
How CBP Frames Lethal Doses and Value
The press release, as described in the Fox News report, emphasizes two framing numbers: the 190,000 alleged lethal doses and the $6,800,000 valuation. Both are common narrative tools in federal drug seizure announcements, used to translate abstract kilograms or pounds into impact on communities.
The precise definition of a “lethal dose” of cocaine is not included in the summary provided by Fox News. Toxicity for stimulants can depend on body weight, health conditions, drug purity, and whether other substances are present. Without a published formula, the 190,000 figure illustrates scale rather than providing a medical standard.
Similarly, agencies often calculate “street value” using assumptions about dosage size and per unit price. Those assumptions are rarely detailed in public documents. That lack of detail makes it difficult for outside observers to verify how conservative or aggressive the estimate might be compared with real market conditions in Texas or beyond.
What is clear from the numbers provided is that the seizure involved hundreds of pounds of alleged narcotics packed into a single commercial shipment. That kind of load typically suggests involvement of a trafficking organization capable of sourcing product, arranging cross-border transport, and absorbing losses from enforcement actions.
What remains undisclosed is whether CBP or HSI has identified any individuals or groups they believe coordinated the shipment, whether similar concealment methods in flower loads have been documented recently at Laredo, and how this seizure fits into longer-term patterns at the port.
Separate Fugitive Arrests at Laredo Bridges
The same Fox News report notes that Texas border officers also arrested three fugitives wanted for alleged child sex crimes in the same general period. Those arrests, though mentioned alongside the drug seizure, appear to arise from separate encounters and preexisting warrants rather than from the flower truck case.
Over the Super Bowl weekend, CBP officers at the Juarez Lincoln Bridge in Laredo encountered a 64-year-old man identified as Rito Bueno. According to the account, an officer referred him for a secondary examination and matched his identity to an outstanding felony arrest warrant.
At the time of that earlier press release, authorities said Bueno was wanted on a charge of aggravated sexual assault of a child. After the warrant match, he was transported to the Webb County jail in Laredo for adjudication of the warrant. Court records, which are not detailed in the Fox News report, would ultimately determine how the case proceeds.
In describing those fugitive arrests, CBP and Texas officers present them as evidence of the role that routine inspections and database checks play in flagging people with open warrants. The agency does not state in the reporting provided that there was any connection between the fugitives and the cocaine shipment.
The individuals named in connection with the warrants remain accused, not convicted, at this stage. The outcomes of their cases will depend on separate state or local criminal proceedings, including any plea negotiations or trials that might follow.
What Remains Unclear After the Seizure
While CBP has highlighted the Valentine’s week seizure as a major interdiction, the public record, as reflected in Fox News’ summary of the agency’s release, leaves important questions unanswered.
The press account does not identify the driver of the flower truck, any passengers, or the trucking company responsible for the 2018 T3 International tractor-trailer. It does not state whether anyone was arrested at the scene, whether any suspects were later charged, or whether the vehicle was part of a larger pattern of suspicious crossings.
There is also no information in the reporting about where the shipment originated, which cities or states it was destined for, or whether investigators suspect a particular cartel or trafficking group. Those details, when they are disclosed in other cases, often emerge months later through federal indictments or plea filings.
Even basic procedural steps, such as whether the alleged cocaine has been tested and logged as evidence, what specific statutes might be charged, and whether any cooperating witnesses have come forward, are not addressed in the initial press description carried by Fox News.
The lack of detail is not unusual in early enforcement announcements, which frequently focus on the size of a seizure and the message that agencies want to send. For residents of Laredo and communities along the trade corridor, however, the unanswered questions are substantial. They include who, if anyone, will ultimately face criminal penalties linked to this specific load and what the case reveals about vulnerabilities at one of the busiest commercial crossings on the southern border.
The World Trade International Bridge, which connects Laredo and Nuevo Laredo over the Rio Grande, is designed to facilitate heavy commercial traffic. As CBP and HSI continue their investigation, the eventual court records, if and when they are filed, will show whether this high-profile interception leads to a broader set of criminal cases or remains a single, sizable seizure with limited public follow-through.
