CBP Officers make huge methamphetamine seizure at Ysleta port

EL PASO, TEXAS – U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers working at the Ysleta international crossing in El Paso seized 119.3 pounds methamphetamine April 11. The drugs were hidden in a car being driven by a 32-year-old Mexican man.

“This seizure represents the dedication of CBP employees who work hard every day to stop the flow of drugs from entering our communities,” said CBP Ysleta Port Director Arnie Gomez.

The seizure was made just before 1 p.m. when a 2000 Jeep Cherokee with a single occupant arrived from Mexico. The primary CBP officer selected the vehicle for a secondary exam after a low-energy portal scan identified anomalies in the appearance of the conveyance. 

A CBP drug-sniffing dog searched the car and provided a positive alert to the rear of the car. CBP officers searched the vehicle and located 110 colorful bundles in the spare tire compartment. The contents of the packages tested positive for methamphetamine. 

CBP officers arrested the driver. He was turned over to Homeland Security Investigations special agents to face 21 U.S. Code 952 - importation of controlled substance charges.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is America's frontline: the nation's largest law enforcement organization and the world's first unified border management agency. The 65,000+ men and women of CBP protect America on the ground, in the air, and on the seas. We facilitate safe, lawful travel and trade and ensure our country's economic prosperity. We enhance the nation's security through innovation, intelligence, collaboration, and trust.