An employee from the Mexican consulate in Yuma, Arizona was caught attempting to smuggle some 100 pounds of cocaine into the United States.

The man, Jose Moreno Serrano, reportedly used his consulate visa and SENTRI pass to quickly pass through border security and into the US. Less than an hour later, Serrano was arrested for transporting 100 pounds of cocaine in a secret compartment in his SUV.

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With a total value of around $2.7 million, the catch marks a large victory for the Immigration and Customs Enforcement division of the Department of Homeland Security. However, it also points to just how much power Mexican cartels continue to have on both sides of the border.

Serrano told officials that he was paid $4,000 to carry out each delivery and the bust was to be his second in the span of a single week.

The Department of Homeland Security had the former consulate employee in its crosshairs for some time, and opened an investigation into the comings and goings of Serrano as early as the fall of 2013.

According to reports, the DHS placed a GPS tracking system on the smuggler's car after it was discovered that the SUV had two hidden compartments built into the undercarriage.

Surveillance on Serrano further intensified in April when it was noted that he had started deviating from his normal daily routines. Shortly after, he was detained and arrested for the attempted smuggling.

Reportedly, following his arrest, Mexico's government is refusing providing Serrano with assistance in his case.

Authorities believe that close to 90 percent of cocaine in the US transits through Mexico and drug cartels in the country can take in anywhere from $19 to $29 billion per year in U.S. drug sales alone. Mexico is also reported to be the US' main supplier of marijuana and methamphetamines.  

Tagsconsulate employee drug smuggling, consulate cocaine smuggling, us cocaine smuggling