EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) – Over 37 pounds of methamphetamine and over 5 pounds of fentanyl hidden in the dashboard area of a vehicle were seized this week at the Fort Hancock port of entry east of El Paso, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) said in a news release.
CBP said that on Tuesday morning, April 30, officers working at the Fort Hancock port of entry seized 37.8 pounds of methamphetamine and 5.6 pounds of fentanyl, hidden in a vehicle driven by a 22-year-old U.S. citizen.
“Even though traffic is generally light at the Fort Hancock port of entry our CBP officers remain vigilant and are keenly aware that at any time the next arriving person or vehicle could pose a threat to the safety of our community,” CBP Marcelino Serna Port Director Eric Fernandez said.
CBP said the seizure was made when a 2013 Nissan Pathfinder with a single occupant arrived from Mexico. Officers selected the vehicle for a secondary exam.
A CBP drug-sniffing dog searched the vehicle and alerted to the presence of narcotics. Officers continued the exam and located 38 bundles inside the dashboard area of the vehicle, CBP said.
CBP said a total of 34 bundles contained methamphetamine, while the contents of the remaining four bundles held multi-colored fentanyl pills.
Officers arrested the driver. She was turned over to Homeland Security Investigations special agents to face federal importation of a controlled substance charges, CBP said.
Read: Read More