Border Crisis: Officers seize over $370K in Narcotics at Port of Entry

LAREDO, Texas—U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Office of Field Operations officers assigned to the World Trade Bridge and Juarez-Lincoln Bridge seized narcotics over the weekend, that totaled over $370,000 in street value.

“CBP prioritizes its border security mission,” said Port Director Alberto Flores, Laredo Port of Entry. “These interdictions successfully halted the transnational criminal organization’s attempt to traffic illicit narcotics into the U.S.”

The first seizure occurred on Friday, Feb. 2 at the World Trade Bridge, when a CBP officer referred a 2013 Utility 4000 trailer manifesting a shipment of “wooden resin handcrafts and accessories” for a secondary inspection. Following a canine and non-intrusive inspection system examination, CBP officers discovered 60.58 pounds of alleged marijuana within the commodity. The narcotics have a street value of $135,531.

The second seizure occurred on Saturday, Feb. 3 at the Juarez-Lincoln Bridge, when a CBP officer assigned to bus operations referred a commercial bus and its passengers for a secondary inspection. Following a canine and non-intrusive inspection system examination, CBP officers discovered 26.36 pounds of alleged methamphetamine within the personal belongings of a passenger. The narcotics have a street value of $242,453.

The narcotics in both seizures have a combined street value of $377,984.

CBP seized the narcotics and bus. Homeland Security Investigations special agents are investigating the seizures.