It's been a busy month for U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), especially when it comes to seizures at the southern border. On August 8 the force announced that officers in Arizona made the largest fentanyl seizure in the organization's history, confiscating approximately 4 million blue fentanyl pills weighing over 1,000 pounds.
Two weeks later, they struck again, intercepting 629 pounds of methamphetamine concealed within a shipment of celery.
And now, news have come out that officers have seized 228 pounds of cocaine worth of cocaine worth over $3 million at a Rio Grande City Port of Entry, marking the largest haul of the narcotic so far this year.
The incident took place on August 24 when a commercial tractor-trailer transporting the shipment was referred for secondary inspection, which included a "non-intrusive inspection system." A CBP canine unit detected the presence of narcotics in the vehicle, leading to a further physical examination that uncovered 100 packages of cocaine hidden inside.
The seized narcotics were handed over to Homeland Security Investigations, which has initiated a criminal investigation.
Port Director Rogelio Olivares credited the seizure to several factors, as reported by Newsweek:
"Our frontline officers continue to exercise vigilance in the cargo environment, and their inspection skill coupled with technology and our canine unit all contributed to this significant seizure. Seizures like these exemplify CBP's commitment to advancing our border security mission while facilitating lawful trade and travel."
According to CBP data, over 53,783 pounds of cocaine have been seized nationwide in Fiscal Year 2024, with 24,152 pounds intercepted at the U.S.-Mexico border. Nearly half of the cocaine seized in the U.S. enters through the southern border.
In other CBP-related news, authorities issued on Wednesday new guidelines directing border agents to stop discarding migrants' personal belongings, following hundreds of complaints criticizing the agency for failing to return items such as medicine, clothing, cell phones, cash, and identity documents.
© 2024 Latin Times. All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
