HIDALGO, Texas—U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Office of Field Operations (OFO) at the Hidalgo and Anzalduas International Bridges arrested two persons in connection with two failed separate, unrelated drug smuggling attempts of alleged methamphetamine and cocaine valued at $4,662,000.
“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,” said Port Director Carlos Rodriguez, Port of Hidalgo/Pharr/Anzalduas.
CBP officers at Hidalgo International Bridge.
On May 5, 2021, CBP officers working at the Hidalgo-Reynosa International Bridge referred a 37-year-old male U.S. citizen from McAllen, Texas driving a Ford F-150 pickup truck for further examination. A (canine team) assisting in the secondary inspection allowed the officers to discover a total of 94 packages weighing 216 pounds (97.9 kg) of alleged methamphetamine concealed within the pickup. These narcotics are valued at $4,317,000.
That same day at the Anzalduas International Bridge, a CBP officer referred a 21-year-old woman, a U.S. citizen from Reynosa, Mexico driving a Chrysler 200 for a more thorough examination which resulted in the discovery on 18 packages of alleged cocaine hidden within the sedan. These drugs weighed 45 pounds (20.26 kg) and are valued at $345,000.
CBP OFO seized all the narcotics, the vehicles and arrested the two persons involved in the failed drug smuggling attempts. Agents with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) took them into custody as they continue with the investigations.
Follow the Director of CBP’s Laredo Field Office on Twitter at @DFOLaredo, on Instagram at @dfolaredo and U.S. Customs and Border Protection at @CBPSouthTexas for breaking news, current events, human interest stories and photos.