One of the largest methamphetamine seizures reported in South Texas this year was uncovered at the Laredo Port of Entry this month, as federal officers claimed they intercepted more than 1,700 pounds of the drug hidden inside a commercial truck.
CBP officers at Laredo Port of Entry seized over $16M in meth hidden in a truck Image by cbpfieldops Office of Field Operations/Instagram
U.S. Customs and Border Protection said its Office of Field Operations officers discovered the shipment on November 5 at the Colombia-Solidarity Bridge after referring a box truck carrying plaster vases for a secondary examination. The agency alleged that a canine search and nonintrusive inspection uncovered 1,792.79 pounds of what officers believed to be methamphetamine, with officials estimating a street value of about $16 million.
“Our frontline CBP officers remain ever vigilant and through an effective combination of applying technology and inspection experience they interdicted this significant load of hard narcotics,” Laredo Port of Entry Director Alberto Flores said in a statement included in a federal news release.
“Seizures like these reflect the seriousness of the drug threat we face on a daily basis and our resolve to maintain a robust enforcement posture to disrupt would-be smuggling attempts and prevent this poison from reaching U.S. streets.”
The release said Homeland Security Investigations is reviewing the case. CBP’s social media account posted about the bust on November 16.
The claimed seizure in Laredo follows a series of other substantial meth finds across Texas in recent months.
In Dallas, police reported seizing 162 kilograms of methamphetamine on October 1 after a community tip led officers to a suspect in West Oak Cliff, according to details included in a report by The Dallas Express.
Authorities also reported locating $100,000 in cash and a handgun before detaining one individual as part of a broader investigation into an alleged trafficking network.
“Getting any amount of drugs off the street is a win, and getting more than 160 kilos of meth off the street is a major success,” Deputy Chief Kylee Hawks said at the time.
Earlier this year, CBP officers at the Hidalgo International Bridge reportedly found nearly $8 million in methamphetamine concealed among roses in a commercial shipment headed into the United States. Officers claimed they seized 857.59 pounds of the drug after using a canine team and scanning equipment to inspect the vehicle, as previously reported on by The Dallas Express.
Additionally, the Texas Department of Public Safety troopers reported in September that they seized more than nine pounds of methamphetamine during a traffic stop on Interstate 40 in Wheeler County. Authorities said the drugs were concealed inside luggage and believed the shipment was traveling from Arizona toward Oklahoma, according to another report from The Dallas Express.