EL PASO, Texas (CBSDFW.COM) – U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers working at El Paso area ports of entry seized 87 pounds of fentanyl, cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine in a 72 hour period.
On June 6, officers working at the Ysleta border arrested a 34-year-old woman after she admitted to carrying narcotics on her body and voluntarily removed two bundles filled with blue fentanyl pills from her rectal cavity. A 28-year-old man who was with her was also arrested when officers found another bag full of the same pills inside their car. A total of .44 pounds of fentanyl was seized from the pair.
“The smuggling threat remains consistent and CBP officers continue to identify and stop significant drug loads on a daily basis,” said CBP El Paso Director of Field Operations Hector A. Mancha. “Every drug load that is stopped represents a substantial financial setback for the smuggling organizations who are attempting to introduce these dangerous items into our community.”
On June 7, officers working at the Paso Del Norte border crossing intercepted 36.4 pounds of cocaine from an 18-year-old U.S. citizen. He allegedly hid multiple bundles within his car that a canine alerted on.
An one hour later, officers working at the Bridge of the Americas border crossing intercepted a mixed load of hard narcotics. They found it inside a car driven by a 53-year-old female Mexican citizen. A total of 21.12 pounds of methamphetamine, 12.72 pounds of fentanyl and 2.33 pounds of heroin were concealed within the car.
The next day, officers working at the Ysleta border crossing intercepted 14.41 pounds of fentanyl from a 28-year-old female U.S. citizen. Officers said they found multiple bundles hidden throughout the car she was driving following a non-intrusive inspection and canine alert.
All the suspects arrested by officers were turned over to Homeland Security Investigations or local authorities for prosecution.