EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — Over 69 pounds of methamphetamine were seized on Wednesday, Aug. 13, at the Paso del Norte border crossing, according to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) in a news release.
The methamphetamine was found after a CBP canine detected the presence of narcotics in a 2008 Ford Expedition with Mexican license plates.
A nonintrusive inspection was conducted through Z-Portal (a high-throughput, drive-through inspection system for large trucks, buses and cargo containers), yielding anomalies within the gas tank area.
Upon further inspection by CBP officers, 60 bundles of methamphetamine, 69.75 pounds, were discovered hidden inside the gas tank of the vehicle, according to CBP.
The driver, a 25-year-old Mexican national woman, was taken into custody. The case is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations.
“Thanks to the training and diligence of our CBP officers and a canine partner, these dangerous narcotics will not be hitting the streets of America,” Acting El Paso Port Director Tony Hall said. “I want to commend my El Paso team for this significant narcotics seizure and a job well done.”
So far in Fiscal Year 2024 through July, CBP El Paso Field Office has seized 3,919 pounds of narcotics, according to the news release.
For more information on CBP drug seizures, visit here.
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