Texas Teen Attempted to Smuggle 80 Pounds of Meth into U.S., Say Feds

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers arrested a South Texas teenager who allegedly attempted to enter the United States with more than $1.6 million worth of methamphetamine.

Rio Grande Valley Sector CBP officers observed a man driving a black 2011 Ford Mustang crossing the Anzalduas-Reynosa International Bridge on February 18 to attempt entry into the U.S. After identifying the driver as a 19-year-old man from San Juan, Texas, the officers directed the driver to move to a secondary inspection station, according to information obtained from CBP officials.

Officers carried out a search of the vehicle with a non-intrusive imaging system and observed anomalies in the vehicle. This led to a physical search. The officers found 119 packages of what would later test positive as methamphetamine, officials stated. The officers seized the drugs and the Mustang and arrested the Texas teen.

Officials report the weight of the methamphetamine as approximately 81 pounds with an estimated street value of $1,620,000. The drugs and the teen were turned over to ICE Homeland Security Investigations agents for further investigation and potential drug-smuggling charges.

“There are always consequences for ill-advised actions and smuggling narcotics will not only tarnish your reputation but will also affect your life after facing charges that may result in jail time,” Port of Hidalgo/ Pharr/Anzalduas Port Director Carlos Rodriguez said in a written statement.

Breitbart Texas’s Jaeson Jones reported last week about the trend of Mexican cartels utilizing “child soldiers” to carry out their operations.

Jones wrote:

Part of the recruiting process in Texas involves inviting teens to parties at residences. Once there, prospects are pressured by others with easy money, alcohol, and free drugs. They are reassured that because they are juveniles, police will release them almost immediately.

In the drug seizure above, the teen is not a juvenile. It is not known how long the teen has been working with the Gulf Cartel-controlled smuggling operations in moving drugs and/or human cargo from Mexico into Texas.

Editor’s Note: Jaeson Jones is a retired Captain from the Texas Department of Public Safety’s Intelligence and Counterterrorism Division and a Breitbart Texas contributor. While on duty, he managed daily operations for the Texas Rangers Border Security Operations Center.

Bob Price serves as associate editor and senior political news contributor for the Breitbart Texas-Border team. He is an original member of the Breitbart Texas team. Follow him on Twitter @BobPriceBBTX and Facebook.