Laredo CBP Officers and Agents Seize $1.9 Million in Methamphetamine, $326,519 in Unreported Currency in 24 Hours
Written by admin, Feb 26, 2013, Comments Off
Courtesy Richard Pauza,
Laredo, Texas –U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers and agents at the Laredo Port of Entry in a 24-hour period seized $1.9 million in methamphetamine and $326,519 in unreported currency in three separate, unrelated enforcement actions.
The methamphetamine seizure occurred on Thursday, Feb. 21, 2013 at Lincoln-Juarez Bridge. A CBP officer referred a 2006 Ford F-150 pickup truck driven by a 40-year-old female U.S. citizen from Dallas for a secondary inspection. CBP officers conducted an intensive inspection and discovered a total of 127 pounds of alleged methamphetamine hidden within the vehicle. The methamphetamine has a street value of $1.9 million.
The larger of the two currency seizures occurred earlier on Thursday at the same bridge. CBP officers and agents conducting outbound examinations on vehicles bound for Mexico selected a 2002 Nissan Pathfinder driven by a 24-year-old U.S. citizen from Chicago for a secondary examination. CBP officers conducted a thorough examination and discovered 28 bundles of currency hidden within the vehicle. CBP officers seized a total of $214,925 in unreported currency.
The other currency seizure occurred in the late afternoon hours at the same bridge during an examination by CBP officers and agents of a southbound commercial bus. During the examination, CBP officers discovered a 21-year-old female U.S. citizen bus passenger from Yakima, Wash. with seven bundles of currency hidden underneath her clothing. CBP officers seized a total of $111,594 in unreported currency.
In the above three enforcement actions, CBP officers seized the alleged methamphetamines and unreported currency and arrested the subjects. All three were turned over to Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) special agents for further investigation.
“Our frontline CBP officers and agents did a magnificent job in seizing $1.9 million in methamphetamine and over $325,000 in unreported currency in one day,” said Sidney Aki, CBP Port Director, Laredo, Texas Port of Entry. “Seizing such large amounts of unreported currency helps to disrupt the operations of transnational criminal organizations.”
