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By Billal Rahman
Immigration Reporter
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U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers seized over $40 million worth of meth stashed within a lettuce shipment in a record-breaking drug haul.
CBP officers at the Hidalgo Port of Entry discovered over 3,400 pounds of alleged meth concealed within a tractor-trailer at Pharr International Bridge on Thursday.
The estimated street value of the drug is thought to be over $48 million, according to a CBP press release.
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This seizure of the alleged narcotics is the largest meth encounter in the history of the Hidalgo Port of Entry, the CBP said.
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Officers stationed at the Pharr International Bridge cargo facility encountered a tractor-trailer entering the U.S. from Mexico.
During a further inspection, officers uncovered 1,488 packages containing alleged methamphetamine weighing 3,429.60 pounds hidden within the shipment of food produce.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection Office of Field Operations (OFO) officers seized the meth and the vehicle after intercepting a massive haul of narcotics.
Homeland Security Investigations has launched a criminal investigation, and inquiries remain ongoing.
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"Our CBP officers remain vigilant and intercepted this massive methamphetamine load from reaching American streets," said Port Director Carlos Rodriguez, Hidalgo/Pharr/Anzalduas Port of Entry. "
"Congratulations to our diligent officers who made this record-breaking interception!"
Meth is one of the major illicit drugs that contributes to overdose deaths in the U.S. involving stimulants other than cocaine.
36,251 people died from overdosing on psychostimulants in 2023, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This is a slight increase compared to the previous year, which saw 35,550 deaths in 2022.
In the 2023-2024 fiscal year, CBP officials have seized 135,769 pounds of meth nationwide, as of June 2024.
Law enforcement officials at the U.S.-Mexico border seized 123,573 pounds of meth in the Southwest border alone in the 2023-2024 fiscal year. California and Texas, two border states, have the highest number of meth users.
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Meth is a highly addictive and powerful stimulant that affects the central nervous system. Meth is usually used as a white, bitter-tasting powder or a pill. Crystal meth is a version of the substance that looks like glass fragments or shiny, blue-white rocks.
The vast majority of meth entering the U.S. is produced by cartels in Mexico, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). The drug is designed in clandestine laboratories and is intended to be potent and cheap.
In 2021, 32,537 people died from an overdose involving psychostimulants, according to CDC data.
CBP officers seized nearly 549,000 pounds of illicit substances across the country in 2022-2023. The second most common seizure by officers was methamphetamine, with 140,000 pounds seized by law enforcement.
According to a study by NIDA, an estimated 2.5 million people aged 12 and older reported using the drug in the country.
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