Texas Border: Cartel Smugglers Hit Hard by US Federal Agents
More than 11.5 million dollars worth of dope, guns, and ammo seized in a series of busts.
US Federal Agents have hit Mexican Cartel smuggling operations hard with a series of large busts along the Texas Border in recent days.
US Customs & Border Protection (CBP) Officers at the Pharr International Bridge this week seized nearly $7.5 million in methamphetamine hidden within a tractor-trailer hauling jicama.
CBP officers discovered 838 pounds of methamphetamine in 892 light-colored packages meant to blend in with the jicama. The street value of the drugs is $7,494,558.
At Hidalgo/Pharr/Anzalduas Port of Entry, CBP Officers intercepted more than $3 million in cocaine and heroin in a 48-hour period.
CBP Officers found 13 packages containing 15.60 pounds (7.08kgs) of heroin and 9.12 pounds of cocaine hidden inside an SUV crossing into Texas from Mexico. Estimated street value: $121,800.
The next day officers inspecting a semi-truck loaded with peppers also contained something else: 80 packages of cocaine weighing 196.21 pounds worth $2,619,800.
At Brownsville's Gateway International Bridge CBP Officers are also reporting a large meth bust worth more than a million dollars:
As they inspected a car arriving from Matamoros, Mexico driven by a US Citizen they discovered some suspicious packages - 43 in all - which contained more than 124 pounds of meth worth 1.1 million dollars.
At the Presidio Port of Entry, CBP Officers discovered an SUV crossing into Texas from Ojinaga, Mexico had a gas tank filled with more than just fuel.
The tank was also loaded with 63 suspicious bundles. Agents pulled 63 of those bundles out of the Mexican driver's tank and found they contained 69 pounds of methamphetamine.
Meanwhile, the Rio Grande Valley Sector of the US Border Patrol continues to disrupt the cartels' marijuana smuggling operations there. Almost every week they are busting smugglers attempting to bring bales of marijuana from Mexico into the US across the Rio Grande:
Cartel gunrunning operations have also taken a hit in recent days.
CBP Officers checking southbound traffic from Texas into Mexico broke up an attempt to smuggle guns and ammo across the border in Eagle Pass:
CBP officers discovered 13 weapons, 26 magazines, and 40 rounds of ammunition hidden in a car - part of a robust smuggling route from Texas to Mexico that arms the cartels some have dubbed the "river of iron."
Days earlier, CBP Officers checking southbound traffic from into Mexico at the Hidalgo International Bridge thwarted another attempt to smuggle weapons and ammo from Texas:
While checking a bus bound for Mexico CBP Officers found 26 weapons and 43 magazines of various calibers aboard the commercial vehicle. Homeland Security Investigations is following up on this seizure.
Should more be done to combat smuggling along the Texas - Mexico border?
Share your opinion in the comments on this article!
Abrazos,
Jack Beavers
