More Than $50M of Methamphetamine Being Smuggled Into U.S. Seized by Texas Border Protection Officers
A Mexican Army expert shows crystal meth paste at a clandestine laboratory near la Rumorosa town in Tecate, Baja California state, Mexico on August 28, 2018. - According to the Army, the lab can produce up to 200 kilograms of the crystal meth daily. On the same operation the Army destroyed two marihuana plantations with a total surface area of 19,000 square meters. GUILLERMO ARIAS/AFP via Getty Images

Officers of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) in Texas had intercepted more than $50 million worth of methamphetamine in their two last operations, authorities said.

According to Fox News, the officers of the Border Protection situated in Texas had seized over $1.5 million in methamphetamine after they busted a U.S. citizen attempting to haul the illegal drugs into the U.S. last week.

Authorities said it happened just days after intercepting a Mexican smuggling 1.2 tons or $48 million worth of the illicit drug.

Over $1.5 Million Meth Intercepted by CBP Agents in Texas

In a statement released on Monday, the CBP said the recent seizure happened at the Gateway International Bridge in Brownsville last Thursday when a woman applied for entry into the U.S.

The 44-year-old female U.S. citizen was driving a 2008 Ford pickup. During an inspection of her vehicle, CBP officers found 24 packages hidden inside the pickup.

The agency said the packages contained a total of 76.54 pounds of alleged methamphetamine, with an estimated street value of $1,530,874.

The CBP noted that the officers seized the narcotics along with the vehicle. The officers also arrested the woman and turned her over to the custody of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) special agents for further investigation.

CBP Officers in Texas Seize $48 Million Worth of Methamphetamine

In a separate statement released on October 28, the CBP said the first interception happened on October 22, when officers busted another driver transporting a load of methamphetamine hidden inside a 1997 Freightliner truck.

The agency said the 60-year-old driver, a Mexican citizen, had applied for entry into the U.S. at the Veterans International Bridge in Brownsville.

During the truck inspection, the CBP noted that officers discovered 62 buckets that contained a total of 2,444.92 pounds of alleged meth. The alleged illicit drugs had an estimated street value of $48,898,072.

The CBP said the officers confiscated the narcotics and the vehicle. The Mexican driver was also arrested and was turned over to the custody of the HSI's special agents.

Brownsville Port of Entry Director Tater Ortiz said the officers had used their "experience and inspection skills to intercept this significant load of prohibited narcotics, delivering another significant blow to illicit drug trafficking" in their area.

Ortiz further noted that "this substantial seizure illustrates the importance of remaining vigilant" and in keeping the dangerous narcotics from entering the country.

In both cases, the CBP officers used the aid of a non-intrusive imaging system (NII) and a canine unit in inspecting the vehicles.

The CBP said the NII technology enables its officers to detect contraband such as narcotics and weapons from sea containers, trucks, cars, and rail cars without physically opening or unloading them.

In fiscal year 2012, the CBP noted that its large-scale NII systems were used to conduct more than 7.6 million examinations, and it resulted in more than 1,500 seizures and interception of more than 212,000 pounds of narcotics.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Jess Smith

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