PHARR, Texas—U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Office of Field Operations (OFO) at the Pharr International Bridge cargo facility and at the Anzalduas International Bridge detected $828,000 worth of alleged cocaine and methamphetamine and arrested two persons in connection with two separate failed drug smuggling attempts.
“Utilizing inspection skill, experience, high tech tools and conducting thorough examinations of passenger vehicles and commercial trucks allow our officers to discover concealed narcotics as demonstrated by these recent interceptions of hard narcotics,” said Port Director Carlos Rodriguez, Port of Hidalgo/Pharr/Anzalduas.
CBP officers from Hidalgo/Pharr/Anzalduas Port of
Entry.
On Aug. 26, 2020, a CBP officer assigned to the Pharr-Reynosa International Bridge cargo facility referred a 44-year-old male Mexican citizen driving a tractor/trailer arriving from Mexico hauling a commercial importation of merchandise for further inspection. Utilizing all available tools and resources, including non-intrusive imaging (NII) equipment, officers conducting the secondary examination located 31 packages weighing 76 pounds (34.5 kg) of alleged cocaine and one package of alleged methamphetamine weighing 1.10 pounds (.5 kg) hidden within two speaker boxes inside the truck. The value of the cocaine is $586,500 and $22,000 for the methamphetamine.
The following day at the Anzalduas International Bridge, a CBP officer referred a 24-year-old woman, a U.S. citizen from Pharr, Texas driving a black 2000 Jeep Grand Cherokee for a secondary examination. Officers conducting the post inspection discovered five packages of alleged methamphetamine weighing 11 pounds (4.98 kg) hidden within an ice chest in the back of the SUV. These drugs are valued at $219,500.
CBP OFO arrested both persons, seized the narcotics along with the tractor/trailer and the Jeep SUV. Agents with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) continue with these investigations.