EL PASO, Texas -- U.S. Customs and Border Protection Office of Field Operations officers working at the El Paso port of entry seized 177 pounds of liquid methamphetamine Wednesday. The drugs were concealed in plastic bottles concealed within the fuel tank of a vehicle.
![Drug filled bottles in fuel tank.](/sites/default/files/styles/webp_original_size/public/u413/oct182017EPPOEmethbottles1.JPG.webp?itok=oWPzhavZ)
“This is a large amount of a very dangerous drug,” said Beverly Good, CBP El Paso Port Director. “We are working hard every day to stop the flow of drugs and other dangerous items.”
The seizure of the day was made just before 3 p.m. when a 2009 Ford Econoline van with single male driver entered the Paso Del Norte international crossing from Mexico. The vehicle was selected for a secondary exam during which a Z-Portal x-ray scan helped CBP officers identify anomalies in the fuel tank. CBP officers removed the fuel tank and found that it held 64 one-liter plastic bottles filled with a suspicious substance. The contents of the bottles tested positive for methamphetamine.
CBP officers took custody of the driver, a 38-year-old Mexican citizen. He was turned over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement HSI special agents to face charges associated with the failed drug smuggling attempt.
While anti-terrorism is the primary mission of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the inspection process at the ports of entry associated with this mission results in impressive numbers of enforcement actions in all categories.