Border Patrol Stops Another $4 Million in Meth from Entering the U.S.

HIDALGO, TX—U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Office of Field Operations (OFO) at the Hidalgo International Bridge were busy on Friday with the interception of two separate, unrelated loads of hard narcotics with a combined street value of $4,166,000.

“Our officers’ continued resolve and dedication to the CBP mission of border security resulted in the discovery of these two loads of hard narcotics which will no longer make their way into our communities and have possible tragic effects,” said Port Director Carlos Rodriguez, Port of Hidalgo/Pharr/Anzalduas.

On April 30, 2021, a CBP officer at the Hidalgo-Reynosa International Bridge encountered a 72-year-old man from San Benito, Texas arriving from Mexico driving a Ford Explorer SUV. A secondary examination including the assistance of a (canine team),  resulted in officers discovering that the SUV’s tires contained hidden packages of suspected narcotics. Officers removed 24 packages of alleged methamphetamine weighing 109 pounds (49.56 kg) valued at $2,185,000.

Later that day, at the same border crossing, a CBP officer referred a 20-year-old man, a United States citizen from Edinburg, Texas driving a Ford F-150 pickup truck for further examination. Officers conducting the secondary inspection discovered various packages containing suspected narcotics hidden within the vehicle. Officers removed 21 packages of alleged methamphetamine weighing 46 pounds (21.08 kg), six packages of alleged heroin weighing 24.42 pounds (11.08 kg) and five packages of alleged cocaine weighing 9.65 pounds (4.38 kg). The value of these narcotics are $929,500, $977,000 and $74,500, respectively.

CBP OFO seized all the narcotics, the vehicles and arrested both men involved in the failed smuggling attempts. Agents with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) took them into custody while they continue with the investigations.