Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) officers at eight ports of entry extending from Brownsville to Del Rio, Texas, seized $12.1 million in narcotics, arrested 80 fugitives and blocked more than 3,500 inadmissible entries due to immigration law violations over the holiday season.
From Dec. 15 to Jan. 7, CBP officers also accommodated an influx of holiday travelers. Officers screened more than 1.7 million private vehicles, 170,000 commercial vehicles, 927,000 pedestrians and issued more than 156,000 I-94 tourist permits over that span.
“Our frontline CBP officers are resolute in their commitment to keeping our borders secure at our ports of entry while facilitating significant volumes of lawful trade and travel over the Christmas/New Year’s holiday period,” David Higgerson, the director of field operations at the CBP Laredo Field Office, said.
More than 17,700 pounds of marijuana, 250 pounds of cocaine, 480 pounds of methamphetamine, 11 pounds of heroin, and $37,000 in unreported currency were seized at South Texas ports of entry. CBP agriculture specialists also doled out more than $27,000 in penalties.
“The enforcement successes are reflective of our ongoing efforts to interdict contraband, degrade transnational criminal organizations and prevent violations of federal law at our ports of entry while employing measures to efficiently process large volumes of holiday traffic,” Higgerson said.