CBP Officers at Hidalgo International Bridge Score Big with Two Interceptions of Methamphetamine Worth $3 Million

HIDALGO, Texas—U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Office of Field Operations (OFO) at the Hidalgo International Bridge arrested two adult women after detecting $3,069,000 worth of alleged methamphetamine concealed within the vehicles they were driving.

“We are seeing a surge in methamphetamines and it is up to our CBP frontline officers to prevent those illicit smuggling attempts and keep these dangerous substances from crossing our borders,” said Port Director Carlos Rodriguez,  Hidalgo/Pharr/Anzalduas Port of Entry.

On Aug. 1, 2020, CBP officers assigned to the Hidalgo-Reynosa International Bridge referred a maroon 2005 Chevy Equinox driven by a 30-year-old woman, a United States citizen from McAllen, Texas for further inspection. The secondary examination resulted in the discovery of alleged methamphetamine concealed within the SUV’s gas tank. The extraction process produced 78.84 pounds (35.78 kg) of the liquid methamphetamine valued at $1,578,000.

Later that evening at the same border crossing, a CBP officer referred a 32-year-old U.S. citizen woman from Houston, Texas and the 2011 Volkswagen Tiguan she was driving for a secondary examination. CBP officers conducting the inspection with the assistance of a (canine team) discovered that this vehicle also contained narcotics within the gas tank. Officers removed 74.56 pounds (33.82 kg) of the drug valued at $1,491,000.

CBP OFO seized all the narcotics, both vehicles and arrested the women involved in the failed drug smuggling attempts. Agents with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) continue with the investigations.