United States Customs and Border Protection agents were busy during the holiday weekend as the agency reported that it seized more than 300 pounds of drugs and arrested six individual suspects.
The agency announced the drug seizure on social media, where they praised the Border Patrol agents who put “honor first” by working to keep Americans safe from criminal activity even on a holiday.
“While most people were home with family, our agents were on the job. They seized 197 lbs. of Meth & 118 lbs. of Fentanyl on Thanksgiving Day,” wrote the agency in a Facebook post. “That’s service. That’s heroism. That’s our men & women in green.”
Fentanyl has become a major concern in Texas, as the drug has become one of the deadliest in the state over recent years.
Gov. Greg Abbott addressed this concern when he announced the implementation of a fentanyl data dashboard meant to raise awareness of the growing crisis, as previously reported by The Dallas Express.
The dashboard states that fentanyl contributed to 2,189 deaths in 2022, which is a significant increase from the 99 deaths reported due to fentanyl in 2015.
In addition to the drugs seized, CBP agents also arrested six individuals for a variety of suspected crimes.
A social media post from the agency further noted that two alleged sex offenders, two alleged gang members, an alleged aggravated felon, and one suspect with a warrant were all arrested over the weekend.
The posts stated that the charges against those arrested include the molestation of a minor, indecency with a child, sex offense against a child, intent to distribute, and the manufacturing and distribution of a controlled substance.
These announcements come following a productive past two months in which the agency reports it seized over 60 firearms and more than $533,000 in currency, according to a CBP social media post.
Additionally, the agency said it had seized more than 14,700 pounds of narcotics in the period beginning October 1.
As the contraband that Border Patrol agents work to intercept continues to make its way across the border and closer to home, cities like Dallas continue to struggle with drug crime throughout 2023.
More than 9,200 drug-related offenses have been logged by the Dallas Police Department as of November 26, which amounts to a nearly 4% increase during the same period in 2022, according to the City’s crime analytics dashboard.