U.S. Customs and Border and Protection officers in West Texas and New Mexico intercepted about 153 pounds worth of hard narcotics in four separate incidents over the weekend, according to the agency.
The first incident occurred last Friday at the Bridge of the Americas border crossing in El Paso, Texas. CBP says a 65-year-old American woman arriving from Mexico was referred for secondary inspection after officers detected "anomalies" within her vehicle. Officers deployed a CBP canine for non-intrusive inspection and discovered more than 55 pounds of methamphetamine.
On Sunday, officers at the Bridge of the Americas Border crossing referred for secondary inspection a vehicle driven by a 43-year-old Mexican man. With the aid of a CBP canine, officers discovered more than seven pounds of cocaine.
Just hours later, at the Ysleta Border crossing in El Paso, officers intercepted the vehicle of a 36-year-old American woman. Officers again deployed a CBP canine for non-intrusive inspection, leading officers to find mixed bundles containing nearly 4.89 pounds of heroin, 3.26 pounds of fentanyl and 2.68 pounds of cocaine.
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That same day, officers at the Santa Teresa port of entry stopped a vehicle driven by a 28-year-old American woman entering the U.S. from Mexico. With the help of a CBP canine, officers discovered more than 80 pounds of methamphetamine.
CBP El Paso Director of Field Operations Hector A. Mancha said the weekend’s drug seizures demonstrated "that smugglers can be young adults, middle-aged border crossers, or even senior citizens."
CBP says all subjects were turned over to Homeland Security Investigations, the FBI or state and local authorities for prosecution.
