U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents arrested two individuals working independently to smuggle more than $4.6 million worth of hard drugs into the United States, according to a May 8 media release from the agency.
The two separate seizures occurred on May 5 at the Hidalgo and Anzalduas International bridges and led to the arrests of both smugglers, the CBP media release said. The release also claimed that, in total, the alleged methamphetamine and cocaine seized from these stops were valued at $4,662,000.
On Wednesday, CBP officers at the Hidalgo and Anzalduas International Bridges arrested two people in connection with two failed separate, unrelated drug smuggling attempts of 216lbs of meth and 45lbs of cocaine valued at over $4.6M.
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— CBP (@CBP) May 10, 2021
One smuggler, a 37-year-old male from McAllen, Texas, was attempting to reenter the United States in his Ford F-150 pickup truck when agents working out of the Office of Field Operations (OFO) for the Hidalgo-Reynosa International Bridge referred his vehicle for further examination, the media release read. A secondary inspection using dogs trained to sniff out illegal substances found 94 packages of alleged methamphetamine in orange buckets from The Home Depot. The drugs weighed 216 pounds and were valued at $4,317,000, according to CBP. (RELATED: $1.7 Million Worth Of ‘Washed Up’ Cocaine, 62 Pounds Of Marijuana Found In Florida Keys)
Over on the Anzalduas International Bridge, a 21-year-old woman from Reynosa, Mexico, also identified as a U.S. citizen, driving a Chrysler 200 was referred by a CBP officer for further inspection, the CBP media release stated. CBP officers found 18 packages of cocaine hidden in the seats of her Chrysler 200, weighing a total of 45 pounds with a price tag of $345,000, the CBP claimed.
“These two interceptions of hard narcotics are the result of hard work and determination by our frontline officers to keep our borders safe. Narcotics interdiction is one of many disciplines within Field Operations’ multi-faceted border security mission,” Port Director Carlos Rodriguez of the Port of Hidalgo/Pharr/Anzalduas said in the statement.
The two failed smugglers were arrested, and Homeland Security Investigation (HSI) agents are continuing their investigations into the incidents, the CBP said in conclusion.