Spider Monkey Found Stuffed in Backpack, $980K in Cocaine Seized at Texas-Mexico Border

US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents at the Texas-Mexico border had a busy weekend, uncovering a live spider monkey and nearly a million dollars’ worth of cocaine in two separate vehicle searches, Fox News reports.

The incidents, which occurred on Sunday at the Anzalduas and Hidalgo International Bridges, resulted in the arrests of three individuals.

The first incident unfolded at the Anzalduas International Bridge when CBP agents flagged a vehicle for a secondary inspection as it crossed into the United States. Inside, agents discovered a spider monkey hidden inside a backpack belonging to a 20-year-old man and a 21-year-old woman, both US citizens.

The pair were immediately taken into custody. The spider monkey was transported to the Gladys Porter Zoo in Brownsville, Texas, for care. CBP officials noted that the importation of certain types of monkeys is regulated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. Monkeys are specifically prohibited from being imported as pets.

Later that same day, at the Hidalgo International Bridge, CBP agents stopped a 68-year-old Mexican citizen attempting to cross into the US in a Ford Explorer. A secondary inspection of the vehicle revealed approximately 73 pounds of suspected cocaine hidden within the vehicle.

Authorities estimate the street value of the seized narcotics to be around $980,000. The man was arrested and turned over to Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). The cocaine was seized by CBP.