U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers reported a large number of drug seizures at various ports of entry along the Texas/Mexico border in the past week.
Nearly a dozen separate incidents at several different ports of entry led to the seizure of marijuana, cocaine, and methamphetamine. The seizures removed an estimated street value of nearly $1.7 million worth of drugs that were heading into the United States, according to press statements obtained by Breitbart Texas.
In just the last week:
- January, 28th, World Trade Bridge, Laredo: An 18-wheeler with a load of soap comes over the bridge. CBP officers feel that something is not right so they forward the truck to a secondary inspection station. In secondary inspection, the scanner and canine units pick up on the scent of marijuana. 995 packages, with more than 1,806 lbs were found with an estimated street value of $361,378.
- January 29th, Hidalgo: A U.S. Citizen from Minnesota walks back across the bridge from Mexico. The CBP officer notices some bulges around his waist and lower back, so he is sent to secondary inspection. Officers find 3 packages, about 3.5 lbs of methamphetamine. The estimated street value: $70,000.
- January 29th, Eagle Pass: A flat bed trailer with a load of large bricks is stopped and searched. The canine alerts on each of the pallet-loads. Officers start going through the bricks and found 1,700 lbs of marijuana. The driver was arrested and his Kenworth tractor and trailer were seized. The estimated street value: $339,728.00.
- January 31st, Hidalgo: A Mexican national driving a commercial bus comes crosses the international bridge. His paperwork appears to be in order, but they send him to secondary inspections. Using inspection tools and a canine team, officers turn up 171 packages of marijuana, weighing up to 410lbs, with an estimated street value of $82,000.
- February 1st, Pharr-Reynosa Bridge: A Mexican national driving a mini-van is sent to a secondary screening station, and in 10 foil-wrapped packages, agents found 26 pounds of cocaine. That haul was valued at an estimated $197,000.
- February 2nd, Pharr-Reynosa Bridge: A person driving a grey Nissan Armada comes over the bridge and is sent to secondary screening. Officers find 20 packages with about 29 pounds of methamphetamine. Officers arrested the man and confiscated his vehicle. The estimated street value for this load, $589,000.
The total street values for all of the drugs seized by CBP in these incidents came to $1,639,106.
Rob Milford is a reporter for Breitbart Texas. You can follow him on Facebook.