U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Office of Field Operations agents stationed at the El Paso Port of Entry in Texas recently made a seizure of 36.7 pounds of crystal methamphetamine during a single traffic stop.
The incident began as agents encountered a 1998 Ford pickup truck at the Paso Del Norte International Crossing from Mexico driven by a 57-year old male from Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico. After a brief round of questioning, the officers referred the vehicle for a more thorough, secondary inspection.
With the use of a narcotics-detecting canine unit, the officers were alerted to suspicious activity emanating from the rear of the truck. Officers then discovered 15 packages of the illicit narcotic concealed within a compartment in the back seat, all of which have been valued at approximately $880,000.
The driver was subsequently arrested and turned over to Homeland Security Investigations special agents for processing.
“This interdiction removes a sizable amount of crystal methamphetamine from the streets of our communities and the reach of our youth,” CBP El Paso Port Director Beverly Good said. “CBP officers quickly and efficiently process thousands of law abiding commuters on a daily basis while also identifying those who willingly violate the laws of our nation.”
U.S. Customs and Border Protection is the unified border agency within the Department of Homeland Security charged with the management, control and protection of the nation’s borders at and between the official ports of entry.