Texas Border Agents Seize $1.6 Million Worth of Drugs Smuggled in Toilet Paper, Cabinets
Authorities have seized nearly 200 pounds of drugs valued at more than $1.6 million following three separate searches at the Laredo Port of Entry in Texas.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Office of Field Operations (OFO) officers carried out three unrelated seizures last week, two of which occurred in the same day.
On Tuesday, January 26, CBP officers assigned to the cargo facility encountered a tractor hauling a shipment of toilet paper arriving from Mexico. After the tractor was referred to a canine and non-intrusive imaging system inspection, 43 packages containing 113.89 pounds of cocaine were found in the trailer.
The CPS said that the cocaine has an estimated street value of $878,220.
Later that evening, officers encountered a daily express consignment truck hauling a shipment of vinyl samples arriving from Mexico. The 2012 Freightliner tractor and shipment was also referred for a canine and non-intrusive imaging system inspection, where one package containing 17.85 pounds of methamphetamine worth an estimated $357,145 was found.
On Wednesday, January 27, 20 packages containing 51.49 pounds of cocaine discovered were also found in a tractor manifesting a shipment of kitchen cabinets coming in from Mexico. The drugs are estimated to have a street value of $397,120.
"As these three seizures illustrate, our frontline officers at World Trade Bridge continue to maintain their vigilance, supporting the CBP mission by disrupting the flow of illegal narcotics entering our borders," Acting Port Director Eugene Crawford, Laredo Port of Entry said in a statement.
Last week, it was revealed that the the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration's Dallas division had made a major drug bust in October, resulting in more than $45 million worth of methamphetamine being seized.
The DEA said more than 1,930 pounds of meth were found stuffed into 663 packages in a hidden compartment of an 18-wheeler off Interstate 35 in Denton County.
The haul was the largest meth bust in North Texas's history.
"It's a staggering amount to be seized at one time," Eduardo Chavez, the special agent in charge for DEA Dallas, told local TV station WFAA. "They were like sausage links."
Chavez added: "I see a lot of lives saved when we can stack up kilograms of drugs like this on a table. Unfortunately, methamphetamine is one of the largest threats in North Texas, so we would anticipate that a lot of it was destined for the market here."
Authorities believe the drugs may have come from the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, or CJNG. The DEA is offering a $10 million reward for the capture of the cartels leader Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, also known as El Mencho.
