Border Patrol Agents Seize $1.6 Million in Meth & Cocaine

LAREDO, TX—U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Office of Field Operations (OFO) officers at the Laredo Port of Entry seized narcotics in separate, unrelated incidents that totaled over $1.6 million in street value.

“As these three seizures illustrate, our frontline officers at World Trade Bridge continue to maintain their vigilance, supporting the CBP mission by disrupting the flow of illegal narcotics entering our borders,” said Acting Port Director Eugene Crawford, Laredo Port of Entry.

The first enforcement action occurred on Tuesday, January 26, when CBP officers assigned to the cargo facility encountered a tractor hauling a shipment of toilet paper arriving from Mexico. The 2007 Freightliner tractor and shipment were referred for a canine and non-intrusive imaging system inspection, resulting in the discovery of 43 packages containing 113.89 pounds of alleged cocaine discovered within the trailer. The narcotics have an estimated street value of $878,220.

The second seizure occurred later that evening, when officers encountered a daily express consignment truck hauling a shipment of vinyl samples arriving from Mexico. The 2012 Freightliner tractor and shipment were referred for a canine and non-intrusive imaging system inspection, resulting in the discovery of one package containing 17.85 pounds of alleged methamphetamine discovered within the shipment. The narcotics have an estimated street value of $357,145.

The third narcotics interception happened on Wednesday, January 27 when officers come upon a tractor manifesting a shipment of kitchen cabinets coming in from Mexico. The 2007 international tractor and shipment were referred for a canine and non-intrusive imaging system inspection, resulting in the discovery of 20 packages containing 51.49 pounds of alleged cocaine discovered within the trailer. The narcotics have an estimated street value of $397,120.

The narcotics combined have an estimated street value of $1,632,485.

CBP officers seized the narcotics and two trailers. The cases were turned over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement-Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI) special agents for further investigation.