Federal authorities seized a massive shipment of methamphetamine allegedly being smuggled into the United States from a tractor-trailer originating in Reynosa, Mexico at the Pharr International Bridge cargo facility on Saturday. The contraband was concealed within a shipment of leeks and discovered during inspections by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers.
Nonintrusive equipment detected anomalies in the shipment, prompting a canine sniff test that indicated narcotics. A physical inspection uncovered 95 packages of alleged methamphetamine weighing a combined total of 1,204.82 pounds with an estimated value of $10,750,000.
“The efforts of our CBP officers continue to be illustrated with massive disruptions of smuggling attempts at our international crossings,” said Carlos Rodriguez, port director for the Hidalgo/Pharr/Anzalduas Port of Entry. “Our officers continue to be on a streak of success.”
CBP reported that Homeland Security Investigation special agents initiated a criminal investigation into the shipment and seized both the narcotics and the vehicle. The seizure occurred at a border crossing that handles an estimated $50 billion in annual trade.
Additionally, CBP noted that $634,000 worth of cocaine was intercepted at the same port earlier this August. In a statement to the public, CBP affirmed its commitment to fulfilling President Donald J. Trump’s mandate under DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin to deliver “the most secure border in history,” stopping dangerous criminal aliens, weapons, and illicit narcotics from entering American communities.
