U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) on Tuesday announced a series of large drug and illicit currency seizures near El Paso, Texas, including intercepting fentanyl that was hidden in a hamburger from being smuggled over the U.S.-Mexico border.
CBP said a total of 62.18 pounds of methamphetamine, 25.27 pounds of fentanyl, 158.64 pounds of marijuana were intercepted, $162,539 of illicit currency was seized, and 44 fugitives were arrested within the last two weeks.
On March 14, CBP officers working at the Paso Del Norte, Texas border crossing intercepted 0.90 pounds of methamphetamine from a 34-year-old male U.S. citizen which was discovered in a bundle strapped to the male’s leg during a pat down search.
On March 18, at the Ysleta Port of Entry in El Paso, border agents intercepted 0.19 pounds of fentanyl found hidden in the purse of a 32-year-old female U.S. citizen.
CBP says that during the booking process at a detention facility, a body x-ray scan revealed another bundle hidden in the 32-year-old female’s vaginal cavity.
[RELATED: ‘Gargantuan’ Seizure of Meth Worth $117 Million at Texas-Mexico Bridge: Border Officials…]
On March 21, CBP officers at the Presidio, Texas Port of Entry intercepted 61.28 pounds of methamphetamine from a 34-year-old male Mexican citizen, hidden in aluminum foil wrapped packages in the gas tank area.
Later that same day, border agents at Paso Del Norte seized $78,385 from a 58-year-old male U.S. citizen for bringing the currency across the border for other people.
On March 23, CBP officers working at the Paso Del Norte border crossing intercepted 0.034 pounds of fentanyl from a 27-year-old female U.S. citizen, found a plastic wrapped bundle inside a hamburger that the female was bringing back from Mexico.
On March 26, CBP officers working at the Bridge of the Americas border crossing in El Paso intercepted 25.08 pounds of fentanyl from a 25-year-old male Mexican citizen and a 22-year-old female Mexican citizen, and later seized 158.64 pounds of marijuana during a routine inspection of another vehicle.
[RELATED: Border Agents Intercept $11 Million in Fentanyl at San Diego Port of Entry…]
Additionally, CBP announced the arrests of 44 individuals for crimes such as embezzlement, child sexual assault, assault with a deadly weapon, larceny, alien smuggling, dangerous drugs, and driving under the influence.
CBP said the subjects that were arrested were turned over to federal or state authorities for prosecution.
“These seizures and arrests are a perfect example of the hard work that our CBP officers are doing on a daily basis,” said CBP El Paso Field Office Director Hector A. Mancha. “We all have a professional and personal stake in working hard to keep our communities safe.”
