U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents seized a semi-trailer truck during an attempt to allegedly smuggle over $18 million worth of methamphetamine into Texas from Mexico.
CBP agents made the seizure May 6 after one of the agency’s officers referred a 2013 International semi-trailer truck for a secondary inspection, according to a Wednesday press release from the CBP. The release stated that the truck, which was transporting stainless-steel scrap, was discovered to contain 912.82 pounds of “alleged methamphetamine.”
Headed to a community near you:
Laredo CBP officers seize $18M in meth at World Trade Bridge https://t.co/KlDKvtofGY via @lmtonline
— Senator John Cornyn (@JohnCornyn) May 12, 2022
The total value of the alleged methamphetamine discovered is approximately $18,253,206, according to the release. The CBP seized the tractor and the methamphetamine at the World Trade Bridge. The driver of the truck, a 33-year-old Mexican male, was arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement-Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI) special agents, according to the release. (RELATED: Authorities Bust Drug Dealers With Enough Fentanyl To Kill Nearly 5 Million People, DA Says)
“Officers assigned to CBP cargo facilities ensure effective border security by preventing and countering the flow of suspected narcotics entering the country,” Laredo Port of Entry Director Alberto Flores said in the release. “Large-scale seizures, such as this one, provide an excellent example of border security management and how it helps prevent illicit contraband from reaching our communities.”
In April, CBP agents seized roughly $2 million in smuggled drugs, with most of the seizures occurring at ports of entry into the U.S. from Mexico. Methamphetamine was the highest amount of drug types seized during this period.