Woman Arrested at Texas Border with 8500 Pills, Says CBP

U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers seized a large quantity of undeclared pharmaceutical medications and arrested the alleged smuggler. The search of a woman attempting to enter the United States from Mexico yielded more than 8,500 undeclared pills.

CBP officers assigned to the Gateway to the Americas Bridge in Laredo, Texas, on August 7 observed a woman approaching in the pedestrian lane for entry into the United States. After an initial interview, the CBP officer referred the woman, a 43-year-old U.S. citizen, to a secondary inspection area, according to information obtained from CBP officials in Laredo.

During a secondary investigation, an officer searched the woman’s belongings and found 16 packages filled with pills, officials stated. The packages contained 1,508 Carisoprodol tablets, 2,679 Valium tablets, 600 Ritalin tablets, and 3,771 Xanax tablets. The woman did not declare any of the pills.

The CBP officers seized more than 8,500 pills and arrested the woman. Officers turned the woman and the undeclared pills over to ICE Homeland Security Investigations for further investigation and preparation of federal charges.

“This seizure of undeclared prescription medication was composed of muscle relaxants, sedatives and stimulants that are classified as controlled substances by the Drug Enforcement Administration,” Port Director Alberto Flores, Laredo Port of Entry said in a written statement. “Fortunately, our frontline officers remain vigilant in the interdiction of these dangerous drugs, which aids in the prosecution of alleged drug traffickers.”

Officials said federal law allows a person to carry personal use quantities of medication across the border. This is generally considered to be a supply of 90 days. To be legal, the medications must be labeled with a doctor’s prescription or the person must be carrying a prescription from the doctor if the containers are unlabeled.