Routine commercial cargo inspections led to two major methamphetamine seizures after U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers uncovered more than $72.3 million worth of suspected drugs at two South Texas ports of entry.
The seizures took place June 19 at the World Trade Bridge in Laredo and the Pharr International Bridge cargo facility, where officers confiscated more than 8,000 pounds of suspected methamphetamine, according to CBP.
The larger of the two seizures occurred at the World Trade Bridge in Laredo, where a CBP officer referred a 2011 Dodge Ram stake-bed truck hauling a shipment manifested as polypropylene for a secondary inspection.
After a canine inspection and a nonintrusive inspection scan, officers discovered 7,047.73 pounds of suspected methamphetamine concealed within the cargo. CBP estimated the narcotics have a street value of more than $63 million.
A second seizure occurred later that day at the Pharr International Bridge cargo facility. Officers inspected a tractor-trailer arriving from Reynosa, Mexico, after nonintrusive imaging equipment detected anomalies inside the trailer.
A subsequent physical inspection uncovered 193 packages of suspected methamphetamine weighing a combined 1,042.78 pounds concealed within the trailer. CBP estimated the narcotics have a street value of nearly $9.3 million.
Combined, the two enforcement actions resulted in the seizure of about 8,090 pounds of suspected methamphetamine with an estimated street value of more than $72.3 million.
“These large-scale cargo methamphetamine seizures, both made the same day at different ports of entry within the Laredo Field Office, underscore the serious drug threat our officers are facing, as well as their resolve to stem the flow of this poison into the U.S.,” Laredo Field Office Director of Field Operations Donald R. Kusser said in a statement.