Border Crisis: Officers Seize Hard Narcotics Worth Over $11.4 Million

LAREDO, Texas—U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers seized hard narcotics in two enforcement actions that totaled over $11,400,000 in street value.

“CBP continues to work with our law enforcement partners to foil illicit transnational criminal organization attempts to smuggle their product through our cargo facilities,” said Port Director Alberto Flores, Laredo Port of Entry. “These significant seizures are prime examples of how CBP’s border security management aids in the prevention of prohibited contraband from crossing the border.”

The first seizure occurred on Tuesday, September 20, 2022, at the World Trade Bridge when a CBP officer referred a 2007 Wabash National trailer carrying a shipment of brooms for a secondary inspection. The truck was referred for a canine and non-intrusive inspection system examination, resulting in the discovery of 32 packages containing 80.73 pounds of alleged cocaine within the trailer. The narcotics had an estimated street value of $1,077,946.

The second seizure occurred later that evening, when a CBP officer referred a 2004 Transcraft trailer manifesting a shipment of sheetrock for a secondary inspection. The truck was referred for a canine and non-intrusive inspection system examination, resulting in the discovery of 71 packages containing 31.39 pounds of alleged heroin and 2,551 packages containing 1047.19 pounds of alleged methamphetamine within the commodity. The narcotics had an estimated street value of $10,412,400.

The narcotics seized in both incidents had a combined estimated street value of $11,490,346.

CBP seized the narcotics. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement-Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI) special agents are investigating the seizures.