A woman with fentanyl in her body, a van full of guns in an air compressor, and a repeat pork smuggler made up this week’s most startling busts on the Texas border.

Here are the three biggest seizures that most of the national press missed:

1. OBG-LYIN TO CBP: Border Crosser Allegedly Hid 113 Grams Of Fentanyl In Her Vagina

A woman was arrested at the El Paso border after allegedly attempting to smuggle a brick of fentanyl in her vaginal cavity, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

CBP posted the bust on X on May 15, noting, “CBP officers in El Paso, TX seized 113g of fentanyl from the body cavity of a female U.S. citizen pedestrian border crosser. The woman was returned to the port of entry where she was arrested and turned over to HSI. She now faces federal charges.”

 

The suspect, a 40-year-old U.S. citizen, was apparently stopped at the Paso Del Norte crossing just before 3 a.m. on May 7. During secondary inspection, she allegedly admitted to having a foreign object inside her body, according to a CBP press release.

Medical personnel reportedly confirmed the presence of a package inside her. Doctors safely removed the bundle, which was found to contain 113 grams of fentanyl — a substance so lethal that just two milligrams can be deadly, according to DEA guidance.

“This is an exceptionally dangerous practice and could be lethal if the packaging were to fail during transport,” said CBP El Paso Port Director Ray Provencio. “It is risky on many levels.”

Following medical treatment, the agency said the woman was returned to the port, arrested, and turned over to Homeland Security Investigations for prosecution.

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CBP also released an image of the seized narcotics: a small, oblong package wrapped in plastic and apparently extracted whole.

2. GUNS IN THE WASH: Weapons and Magazines Hidden in Appliances Headed South

While the discussion about border control often concerns contraband entering America from Mexico, sometimes it flows the other way. Officers at the Del Rio Port of Entry seized 15 weapons and 24 magazines stashed inside an air compressor and a washing machine during an outbound inspection, according to CBP.

The takedown was announced on May 13 in a social media post from CBP South Texas:

 

According to CBP’s press release, the discovery happened on May 11, when officers stopped a 2013 Ford E-350 van pulling a utility trailer en route to Mexico. A scan and canine inspection led to a more invasive search, during which officers allegedly uncovered firearms and magazines “hidden within commodities.”

Another social media post by DFO El Paso further clarified where the stash was concealed:

Photos released by CBP show pistols, rifles, and stacks of magazines arrayed on a table — part of what the agency called a “significant weapons seizure.”

Homeland Security Investigations has opened a case.

3. MEAT REPEAT: Man Caught — Again — with 300 lbs. of Pork Bologna and Chorizo

A man previously fined for bologna smuggling was busted again — this time with nearly 300 pounds of processed pork hidden under floor mats and in compartments of his SUV, according to CBP.

The El Paso Field Office announced the seizure in a May 9 tweet from DFO Hector Mancha:

 

CBP’s press release said the 61-year-old U.S. citizen was driving a 2024 Mazda CX-50 and declared no meat products at the checkpoint. But officers reportedly spotted several suspicious rolls under the vehicle’s floor mats.

A secondary inspection revealed the full haul: 275 pounds of bologna, 17.6 pounds of ham, and seven pounds of chorizo—all of which are banned for entry due to the risks of animal disease transmission.

The man was previously cited for a similar attempt and fined $1,000 for smuggling 30 rolls of bologna, CBP said.

“It is important that members of the traveling public clearly understand that pork products have the potential to introduce foreign animal diseases to the U.S.,” said CBP El Paso Field Director Hector A. Mancha. “The impact to the U.S. economy and to our agriculture industry could be devastating.”

All meat was seized and destroyed, and the case is being referred to the USDA’s enforcement division. CBP is reportedly considering additional civil penalties.

To read about last week’s biggest border busts, click here: Texas Takedown Weekly: Border’s Biggest Busts (May 9)