Breitbart Texas reviewed a forthcoming report showing more than 42,000 pounds of methamphetamine were seized by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agencies in November. The amount eclipses any previous monthly total. As CBP is coping with record numbers of migrants illegally crossing the border, Mexican cartels are pushing meth primarily straight through southwest border ports of entry.
The report, provided to Breitbart Texas by a source within CBP, show seizures are 90 percent greater than October 2021. According to CBP, the street value of the narcotics is more than $76 million. Although a small portion of the meth was seized by Border Patrol, most was interdicted at land border ports of entry by customs officers.
In one November seizure, officers intercepted nearly a half a ton of meth concealed inside the walls of a trailer at the Calexico East Commercial Facility in California. Officers encountered the driver of a 2013 Kenworth tractor-trailer entering the cargo facility. CBP officers utilized the port’s imaging system to screen the tractor-trailer and observed anomalies within the front wall. A CBP K-9 team screened the conveyance and received a positive alert. Officers discovered wrapped packages of methamphetamine hidden inside the front wall of the trailer. A total of 30 packages of meth with an estimated street value of $1,559,700 were reported found.
According to a 2020 DEA National Drug Threat Assessment report, the involvement of Mexican cartels in methamphetamine production is thanks to their use of industrial scale laboratories. These labs rely on the importation of precursor chemicals primarily from China and India.
Chemical shipments are mislabeled at the origin, sent to legitimate companies, and then diverted by the cartel to clandestine labs. Most Mexican cartels are involved in meth trafficking, according to the report.
Randy Clark is a 32-year veteran of the United States Border Patrol. Prior to 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 Twitter @RandyClarkBBTX.