El Paso, TX–U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers working at the Port of Ysleta Cargo Facility intercepted 548 pounds of liquid methamphetamine with an estimated street value of $3 million.
“This significant seizure is a perfect example of the work our CBP Officers do on a daily basis to protect our communities and nation,” said Customs and Border Protection Ysleta Port Director Arnoldo Gomez.
On March 30, a 47-year-old male Mexican national driving a tractor-trailer applied for entry into the U.S. from Mexico via the Ysleta Port of Entry cargo facility. The primary CBP officer referred the driver for a secondary inspection of the commercial vehicle.
In secondary, CBP officers conducted a non-intrusive inspection where they identified anomalies located within the fuel tank of the vehicle. An officer with his drug-sniffing canine partner assisted with the inspection, resulting in an alert to the presence of a trained odor emitting from the vehicle. Further examination led officers to discover the tank to be full of a substance that tested positive for the properties of methamphetamine. The liquid methamphetamine, once safely extracted from the fuel tank and secured in containers was seized by CBP.
No arrests were immediately made. The case remains under investigation.