Officers working the U.S.-Mexico border in the El Paso area reportedly seized over 73.1 pounds of illicit drugs over five days in late July, including fentanyl, cocaine, and methamphetamine.
“These seizures are examples of the vigilance and commitment by our CBP officers to the border security mission,” said U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Director Field Operations Hector A. Mancha.
CBP Press Officer Landon “Hutch” Hutchens told The Dallas Express that CBP Data for July will be updated soon, and the agency will better understand the total amount of illicit drugs confiscated in the El Paso area for the month.
CBP officers working on July 25 at the Paso Del Norte border crossing found 14.77 pounds of cocaine and intercepted it from a 36-year-old female Mexican resident. A canine CBP alert and a non-intrusive inspection led officers to discover cocaine-filled bundles concealed within the vehicle.
At the Paso Del Norte on July 26, a 32-year-old male U.S. citizen was caught with 16.97 pounds of methamphetamine. Again, a CBP canine alerted officers to a dolly leading filled with bundles of the drugs.
Later that day, CBP officers intercepted 0.48 pounds of fentanyl from a 32-year-old male U.S. citizen following a pat-down search leading CBP officers to discover two bags filled with pills.
At the Ysleta border on July 27, officers intercepted 0.24 pounds of fentanyl from a 21-year-old female U.S. citizen. The woman was walking across a border bridge, and a canine alerted officers of the drugs. The woman later admitted to carrying narcotics in her vaginal cavity, according to the CBP.
On July 28, at the Bridge of the Americas border crossing, CBP officers captured 1.06 pounds of methamphetamine from a female U.S. citizen. Another putdown search helped reveal packages in the groin area.
Back at the Ysleta border crossing on the 28th, 9.83 pounds of fentanyl and 12.87 pounds of cocaine were found inside a 19-year-old male U.S. citizen’s vehicle.
A few minutes later, CBP officers stopped another 22-year-old female attempting to smuggle drugs, this time 6.08 pounds of cocaine hidden inside a vehicle.
The last reports out of El Paso for the wild week on the border came on July 30. At the Paso Del Norte border crossing, a 24-year-old female U.S. citizen was intercepted, and officers found 11.28 pounds of methamphetamine inside the vehicle.
“The subjects arrested by CBP officers were turned over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations or local authorities for prosecution,” CBP said.
