Federal Officers along the U.S.-Mexico borderhave racked up a huge amount ofcocaine seizures so far this month - placing a significant dent in cartel smuggling operations.
Half-a-million dollars worth of cocaine seized at the Pharr International Bridge by U.S. Federal Agents (September 13, 2024)Photo byU.S. Customs & Border Protection
The first of these large seizures began in South Texas on Friday, September 13, 2024, when U.S. Customs & Border Protection (CBP) Officers at the Pharr International Bridge took a closer look at a tractor-trailer load of avocados arriving from Mexico. The CBP officers discovered 16 packages of cocaine weighing 37.69 pounds worth $503,355 hidden within the shipment of potential guacamole.
Meth bundles in green wrappers mixed in with a shipment of lettuce arriving in Pharr, Texas from Mexico (August 1, 2024).Photo byU.S. Customs & Border Protection
Hiding drugs within large loads of fruit and veggies routinely arriving at this busy crossing (and others along the border) is a favorite tactic of cartel smugglers. (You can read more about that HERE).
25 packages of cocaine were found hidden within the doors and quarter-panels of an SUV at the Port of San Luis, Arizona (Sept. 15, 2024)Photo byU.S. Customs & Border Protection
Two days later at the Port of San Luis, Arizona, CBP Officers found more than two dozen packages of cocaine hidden within the doors and quarter-panels of anSUV arriving from Mexico via the "Trusted Traveler" (SENTRI) lanes . This load of cocaine weighed in at 67.64 pounds and was worth $722,518. The not-so-trusted traveler driving the SUV was arrested and federal agents seized her truck.
22 packages of cocaine seized at the Falcon Dam International Bridge in South Texas (September 16, 2024)Photo byU.S. Customs & Border Protection
A day later back in South Texas, CBP Officers on the Falcon Dam International Bridge discovered an even larger load of cocaine being smuggled across the Rio Grande. They found 22 packages containing 54.67 pounds of cocaine in a car crossing into the U.S. The estimated street value of the drugs is $730,012.
This is just one of many large loads of cocaine seized by CBP's San Diego Field Office during the first two weeks of September 2024.Photo byU.S. Customs & Border Protection
As impressive as those seizures are, the CBP San Diego, California Field Office has reported cocaine seizures totaling 1,128 pounds during the first three weeks of September. (Details of those busts can be found HERE and HERE).
How much impact do you think these busts have on Cartel Smuggling Operations?
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