A Mexican national allegedly stopped while attempting to cross the U.S.-Mexico border with a hefty amount of illicit drugs earlier this year was sentenced to nearly six years in prison this week.
Cesar Tarango Cobos, 42, was driving through the Presidio Port of Entry on February 17 when he was selected for a secondary vehicle inspection. Border patrol agents allegedly uncovered a huge cache of marijuana and methamphetamine in Cobos’ vehicle, amounting to 38.72 kilograms and 10.2 kilograms, respectively.
A federal court in El Paso later found Cobos guilty of possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of meth — a Class A felony.
“Agents at the ports of entry remain vigilant and I commend all of our law enforcement partners for their investigative work in this case,” remarked Jaime Esparza, U.S. attorney for the Western District of Texas.
The smuggling of illicit drugs across the southern border has been on the rise. A report from U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) logged a 9% uptick in drug seizures between June and July.
CBP has also logged a year-over-year increase in the amount of fentanyl — a highly potent and addictive drug — seized, totaling over 23,700 pounds in FY 2023 compared to 10,500 pounds in FY 2022.
The trafficking of opioids has been fueling an addiction epidemic in Texas, with the Texas Department of Health and Human Services estimating that as many as five Texans die per day from overdoses.
As such, securing the southern border against not just the trafficking of illicit substances but also of people has been the priority of lawmakers, such as Gov. Greg Abbott and more. For instance, Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey recently announced she would be sending 275 troops from the National Guard to assist operations at the border, as covered in The Dallas Express.
However, inspections of cargo can slow down international commerce and cost businesses significant fees, as reported in The Dallas Express.
Since September 20, Abbott launched state-run cargo truck inspections at the Ysleta-Zaragoza International Bridge in El Paso and the Camino Real Bridge in Eagle Pass in a bid to stop cartels from smuggling drugs across the border. This might be by intercepting illicit drugs directly or by deterring attempts at trafficking in the first place.
Yet these extra inspections are increasing the wait times at these crossings to upwards of four hours.
According to Manuel Sotero Suarez, vice president of the National Chamber of Cargo Transportation (Canacar), more than $1.5 billion worth of goods have been turned away at the border due to the inspections.
