In a press release on Tuesday, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) stated that the first incident occurred on Friday, December 10, when the female suspect attempted to enter Texas from Mexico in a white Chrysler minivan. When she was flagged for additional security checks using non-intrusive imaging equipment (NII), border agents found 21 packages of alleged methamphetamine weighing about 191 pounds.
In the second incident, which occured on Sunday, December 12, the male suspect attempted to enter Texas from Mexico in a gold Chevrolet sedan. Using a canine unit and NII, border guards detected about 27 pounds of alleged methamphetamine in 22 different packages, according to CBP.
The Homeland Security Investigations division of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is investigating the incidents.
Carlos Rodriguez, the port director for the Hidalgo/Pharr/Anzalduas Port of Entry, commented on the seizures.
“As the holidays get closer, we tend to encounter increased attempts to secrete narcotics loads amid heavier traffic volumes and these two significant hard narcotics seizures perfectly illustrate that phenomenon,” Rodriguez said.
According to CBP’s most recent operational update, border agents seized 16,040 pounds of methamphetamine that crossed the U.S.-Mexico border in October, which was an increase of 41 percent from September.
Due to the federal government’s ineffective response to illegal immigration and drug smuggling, the State of Texas has taken steps to secure the border including a border fence project and a surge of personnel from the Texas National Guard, Texas State Guard, and Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS).
Though border security is primarily a federal responsibility, state law enforcement officers from across Texas have been assisting CBP in the apprehension of illegal aliens.
Ericka Miller, the press secretary for DPS, indicated in an email to The Texan on Wednesday that the state’s border security effort, known as Operation Lone Star, has resulted in the arrests of thousands of criminals.
“Since [Operation Lone Star] began in early March, DPS has made more than 8,900 criminal arrests, including 2,165 for criminal trespassing. There have also been 7,038 felony charges filed. In addition, DPS has made more than 82,200 migrant apprehensions and referrals. These are through December 9,” Miller wrote.
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Hayden Sparks
Hayden Sparks is a senior reporter for The Texan and a lifelong resident of the Lone Star State. He has coached competitive speech and debate and has been involved in politics since a young age. One of Hayden's favorite quotes is by Sam Houston: "Texas has yet to learn submission to any oppression, come from what source it may."
