U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers at ports of entry in Texas have seized more than 9,000 pounds of methamphetamine with a street value of more than $80 million in just four incidents during the month of June. The thwarted cartel smuggling attempts occurred in Laredo, El Paso, and Pharr, Texas.
In two interdictions on the Juneteenth holiday, officers seized more than $72.3 million in methamphetamine as smugglers attempted to push through two south Texas ports of entry. The larger of the two seizures occurred on June 19 at the World Trade Bridge in Laredo, when a CBP officer referred a 2011 Dodge Ram stake-bed truck purportedly hauling a shipment manifested as “polypropylene” for secondary inspection.
Officers deployed a canine team and used non-intrusive inspection technology to search the vehicle’s interior. The enhanced inspection and search of the stake-bed truck uncovered more than 7,000 pounds of methamphetamines valued at more than $63 million hidden within the commodity being brought into the country.
The second seizure occurred on the same day at Pharr International Bridge. In that incident, officers searched a tractor-trailer attempting to enter the United States from Reynosa, Tamaulipas. Officers referred the vehicle to a secondary inspection area where nonintrusive inspection equipment detected anomalies within the trailer.
Officers performed a physical inspection of the trailer and discovered 193 packages of a substance believed to be methamphetamine with a combined weight of more than 1,000 pounds concealed within the trailer. The methamphetamine is estimated to have a total street value of more than $9 million.
As reported by Breitbart Texas, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers at a Laredo, Texas, Port of Entry stopped smugglers from entering the United States with more than 1,100 pounds of methamphetamine on June 15. The agency determined the seizure had a street value of more than $10.1 million. The illicit narcotics were discovered hidden inside a 2013 D-13 Volvo semi-tractor hauling a shipment manifested as “polypropylene.”
Several days later, on June 18, officers at the Paso Del Norte Port of Entry in El Paso stopped a woman from New Mexico suspected of attempting to enter the United States with nearly 60 pounds of illegal methamphetamine. The agency determined the seizure had a street value of $521,100. The narcotics were found after officers referred the black sport utility vehicle driven by the female for an enhanced inspection.
CBP El Paso Director of Field Operations Ray Provencio commented on the arrest and seizure of the narcotics, saying, “CBP officers use their experience and advanced technology to stay one step ahead of smugglers. Their dedication and vigilance play a critical role in protecting our communities from the dangers of illicit drugs.”
As exclusively reported by Breitbart Texas, nationwide narcotics seizures have increased in recent months as illegal alien apprehensions continue to remain below 10,000 per month along the southwest border. The reduction in illegal border crossings has allowed CBP officers and the U.S. Border Patrol to focus on enhanced counter-drug strategies.
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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