U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers at the Del Rio, Texas, Port of Entry thwarted a cartel smuggling attempt to import more than $1.7 million in cocaine into the U.S. on August 4. Authorities arrested a 29-year-old United States citizen who arrived at the port of entry and is suspected of attempting to move the narcotics farther into the United States.
According to CBP, on Tuesday, a man attempted to enter the United States from Ciudad Acuña, Mexico, through the Del Rio Port of Entry driving a 2013 Dodge Durango. A CBP Office of Field Operations officer selected the vehicle for a more intensive inspection. The vehicle was directed to a secondary inspection site, where officers examined the vehicle and its contents, including the use of non-intrusive technology to scan it.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection
During the search, officers discovered 49 packages containing 129.67 pounds of a substance believed to be cocaine hidden within the quarter panels of the vehicle. The suspected cocaine has an estimated street value of $1,731,425.
CBP arrested the 29-year-old unidentified man and seized the contraband. The suspect was transferred to Homeland Security Investigations special agents, who initiated a criminal investigation.
The Del Rio Port of Entry is one of ten southwest border ports of entry that fall under the purview of the Laredo Field Office. As reported by Breitbart Texas, the region is the second busiest in the nation for narcotics seizures by CBP. The region stretches from Del Rio, Texas, on the north end and runs 450 miles south through Laredo and onward to Brownsville, the southern tip of Texas.
The ports are responsible for inspecting millions of vehicles, pedestrians, rail cars, and commercial trucks each year. More than $200 billion in imported products are processed at the ports, making the region a powerhouse in legitimate trade and travel into the United States. The high volume of legitimate trade and travel makes the region an attractive environment for Mexican Drug Trafficking Organizations (DTOs) to exploit.
According to CBP, the Laredo Field Office ports of entry were responsible for seizing more than 45,000 pounds of narcotics between October 2025 and June 2026. CBP attributes the seizures to an increased focus on counter-drug strategies that involve enhanced intelligence gathering against DTOs and an increase in staffing to deploy canine teams and non-intrusive inspection equipment at ports of entry.
Del Rio Port of Entry Director Liliana Flores commended the vigilance of the officers in Del Rio, saying, “This significant seizure is a direct result of the unwavering vigilance and commitment of our CBP officers. This is a clear example of how our investment in technology and training directly impacts our ability to secure the border and protect our communities.”
Randy Clark is a 32-year veteran of the United States Border Patrol. Before his retirement, he served as the Division Chief for Law Enforcement Operations, directing operations for nine Border Patrol Stations within the Del Rio, Texas, Sector. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) @RandyClarkBBTX.
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