Eagle Pass CBP Officers Halt Human Smuggling Attempt and Seize Over $1 Million of Meth

EAGLE PASS, Texas – A press release announced today that on Aug. 20, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers were active in halting a human smuggling attempt of a minor and seized more than 70 pounds of hard narcotics, in two separate enforcement actions at the Eagle Pass Port of Entry.

According to the release, at about 5:03 p.m., CBP officers at the Eagle Pass International Bridge inspected a 2008 Dodge Nitro, driven by a United States citizen, as it arrived from Mexico.

The release said a minor was a passenger in the vehicle, and the driver, a woman, presented a U.S. birth certificate to the officers. Upon questioning, CBP officers learned that the minor was a Mexican citizen without legal documents to enter the U.S. and the woman allegedly provided the U.S. birth certificate to smuggle him into the U.S. illegally.

The 37-year-old Houston woman will appear before a U.S. magistrate for alleged violation of immigration law.

Additionally, at approximately 7:35 p.m., CBP at the Eagle Pass International Bridge inspected a 2006 Ford F-150 truck as it arrived in the United States from Mexico. Officers noticed "anomalies in the bed liner area" and utilized a K-9 and a non-intrusive imaging system for inspection. They retrieved 30 packages of alleged crystal methamphetamine within the bed liner of the vehicle. The officers seized a total of 70.60 pounds of alleged crystal methamphetamine worth an estimated $1,411,825.84.

CBP officers seized the vehicle and narcotics, and turned the driver, a 42-year-old man from San Antonio, over to Homeland Security Investigations special agents for further investigation.

“This interception of dangerous drugs and human smuggling of a child exemplifies the teamwork of our officers working at our port,” said Port Director John Brandt, Eagle Pass Port of Entry. “Our officers employed a combination of observational skills and high tech tools to uncover this load and preventing it from going any further and halt these types of human smuggling attempts, all in a day’s work."