According to a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) press release, Office of Field Operations (OFO) officers recently seized hard narcotics in four separate incidents that totaled more than $11 million. The seizures took place over the course of three days in Laredo, Texas and resulted in the capture of more than 430 pounds of methamphetamine, 134 pounds of cocaine, 41 pounds of heroin, and 16 pounds of fentanyl.
The first incident occurred on April 19 at the World Trade Bridge. CBP officers discovered 234 packages containing 360 pounds of methamphetamine within a shipment from Mexico. The narcotics had an estimated street value of $7,204,632.
The second seizure occurred on April 20 at the Juarez-Lincoln Bridge. Following a canine and non-intrusive imaging system inspection, CBP officers discovered a total of 50 packages containing 71 pounds of methamphetamine within a commercial bus arriving from Mexico with an estimated street value of $1,424,171.
The third incident also occurred on April 20 at the World Trade Bridge and resulted in the discovery of 84 pounds of cocaine, 41 pounds of heroin and 16 pounds of fentanyl within a shipping trailer from Mexico. Combined, the drugs had an estimated street value of $2,046,880.
The fourth seizure occurred once again at the World Trade Bridge on April 21. CBP officers found 20 packages containing nearly 50 pounds of cocaine within a tractor trailer with an estimated street value of $382,500.
Acting Port Director Eugene Crawford of the Laredo Port of Entry said, “In an effort to secure our Nation’s borders, as these narcotics seizures clearly illustrate, CBP has implemented enforcement strategies that have furthered the disruption of dangerous drugs entering the country.”
The incidents come in the wake of months of President Joe Biden’s do-nothing approach to the ongoing crisis at the southern border. In his first 100 days in office, President Biden halted construction of the border wall, ended the Migrant Protection Protocols, reinstated catch and release, promised a path to citizenship for illegal aliens and ended the emergency declaration on the southern border. The result? The largest surge of border apprehensions in over 20 years, and with it, a massive increase in drug smuggling and other cartel activity.
Thanks to border wall improvements in the Texas sector and the diligent work of CBP, these shipments were intercepted. Due to the wall, while incomplete, more narcotics are being diverted into ports of entry, making them easier to intercept. However, CBP is overwhelmed and understaffed, resulting in many illegal aliens crossing successfully without apprehension and other cartel activity occurring unencumbered, both at ports of entry and in areas where there is no effective border barrier. As the crisis continues to worsen, we can only expect cartels to expand their operations and exploit the current crisis to their benefit.
