74 pounds of various drugs found at El Paso area ports of entry in 2 days
EL PASO, Texas (KFOX14/CBS4) — A total of 74.56 pounds of various drugs including methamphetamine, fentanyl, cocaine and heroin were intercepted by U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers working at El Paso area ports of entry on May 17 and Wednesday.
CBP officers at the Bridge of the Americas border crossing in El Paso on Wednesday encountered a 30-year-old man from Mexico who arrived via the vehicle lanes. During an inspection, officers located several bundles containing 12 pounds of cocaine concealed within the vehicle.
On May 17, CBP officers at the Marcelino Serna Port of Entry in Fabens found multiple drug-filled bundles in a vehicle driven by a 25-year-old man from the U.S.
The bundles contained 12.12 pounds of methamphetamine, 5.29 pounds of heroin and 11.90 pounds of fentanyl, according to CBP.
A few hours later at the Paso Del Norte border crossing in El Paso, CBP officers inspected the vehicle of a 26-year-old woman from Mexico.
During primary inspection, anomalies were identified within the vehicle. The inspection was followed with screening by a canine and a non-intrusive exam which resulted in the discovery of multiple drug-filled bundles containing 29.54 pounds of methamphetamine, 1.94 pounds of heroin and 1.94 pounds of fentanyl.
The individuals were arrested by CBP officers and were turned over to Homeland Security Investigations and/or state and local authorities for prosecution, CBP stated in a news release.
“CBP officers remain vigilant because the drug smuggling threat is continuous,” said CBP Acting Director Field Operations Ray Provencio. “These enforcement actions prevent sizeable quantities of dangerous drugs from making it to their intended destinations.”
The combined totals of the drugs found are approximately 41.53 pounds of methamphetamine, 13.8 pounds of fentanyl, 12 pounds of cocaine and 7.23 pounds of heroin.
RECOMMENDED: El Paso Border Patrol chief: Mother, daughter found with 41 pounds of meth in Alamogordo
Sign up to receive the top interesting stories from in and around our community once daily in your inbox.
