Buckets containing nearly 913 pounds of methamphetamine seized by CBP officers at World Trade Bridge. (U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP)) Border Patrol agents, in a single large-scale enforcement action last week, seized $18 million worth of methamphetamine being smuggled into Laredo, Texas, from Mexico in a semi-trailer truck.
Announcing the massive seizure on Wednesday, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) said one of its officers at the World Trade Bridge, which connects Mexico to the United States over the Rio Grande, on Friday had referred a 2013 International trailer hauling a shipment of stainless-steel scrap for a secondary inspection.
The trailer was driven by a 33-year-old male Mexican citizen arriving from Mexico. Following a canine and non-intrusive imaging system examination, CBP officers discovered a total of 912.82 pounds of alleged methamphetamine within the trailer, according to the press release.
The narcotics have an estimated street value of $18,253,206. CBP seized the narcotics and the tractor. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement-Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI) special agents took over the case and arrested the driver.