Border Patrol Seizes $69,352 of Meth at Del Rio Port of Entry

DEL RIO, TX — U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at the Del Rio Port of Entry recently seized more than 60 pounds of methamphetamine in two separate incidents.

“Our CBP officers are vigilant professionals, constantly on the lookout for illicit activities,” said Port Director Alberto D. Perez, Del Rio Port of Entry. “These seizures represent a significant amount of contraband that will not make it into our communities.”

On June 9, CBP officers at the Del Rio Port of Entry discovered an abandoned vehicle on the Del Rio International Bridge. A CBP canine alerted officers to the presence of narcotics. Officers took the vehicle, a 1996 Mercury van, to the port cargo lot for inspection. A scan by a non-intrusive imaging system revealed several hidden packages. Officers retrieved four packages of suspected methamphetamine, weighing a total of 4.95 pounds, worth an estimated $69,352.

A few hours later, CBP officers inspected a 2011 Dodge Avenger, driven by a 42-year-old woman, as it arrived in the United States from Mexico. During inspection, officers were alerted to the presence of narcotics by a CBP canine. Officers recovered 25 packages of suspected methamphetamine, totaling 59 pounds, worth an estimated $828,400.

The vehicles and methamphetamine were turned over to Homeland Security Investigations. The driver of Dodge Avenger, a U.S. Citizen who resides in Del Rio, was turned over to HSI for federal prosecution.

CBP’s Del Rio Port of Entry is part of the Joint Task Force-West South Texas Corridor, which leverages federal, state and local resources to combat transnational criminal organizations.