CBP seized hundreds of pounds of meth, fentanyl, cocaine at El Paso area ports of entry

U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers seized 291 pounds of methamphetamine, fentanyl, cocaine and marijuana in just over a week at El Paso area ports of entry, authorities said.

Officers seized the drugs at various ports of entry throughout the West Texas and Southern New Mexico area between Sunday, Jan. 14 through Wednesday, Jan. 24, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials said.

"CBP officers continue to perform their mission with vigilance and professionalism," CBP El Paso Director Field Operations Hector A. Mancha said in a statement. "They are able to maintain the flow of legitimate trade and travel while also executing their vital drug interdiction responsibilities."

Federal officials did not release the names of the suspects in the pending drug smuggling cases. They identified the suspects by age, sex and country of origin.

The amount of drug seizures at ports of entry "fluctuates, which is normal," CBP spokesperson Sandra Hawkins said.

The CBP El Paso Field Office seized more than 518 pounds of drugs at El Paso area ports of entry in January 2023, according to CBP statistics. In the 2024 fiscal year, which started in October, CBP El Paso seized more than 3,300 pounds of drugs.

Fentanyl, meth, cocaine seized at El Paso ports of entry

The first major drug bust was Jan. 14 at the Paso Del Norte International Bridge near Downtown El Paso.

A 36-year-old woman, who is a U.S. citizen, attempted to cross the bridge through the pedestrian lanes when she was selected by officers for a secondary inspection.

An inspection by a drug-sniffing dog and a pat-down search were conducted on the woman. Officers then found drug-filled bundles hidden in a body cavity, officials said. The bundle contained 189.8 grams of fentanyl and 65.7 grams of methamphetamine.

The next day, a 22-year-old woman, a U.S. citizen, crossed the pedestrian lanes Jan. 15 on the Paso Del Norte International Bridge when a drug-sniffing dog alerted officers to her, officials said.

A pat down and search revealed the woman was hiding a fentanyl-filled bundle in a body cavity. The amount of fentanyl totaled 119.1 grams.

Later that same day, officers selected a 45-year-old man, a U.S. citizen, for secondary inspection on the bridge's pedestrian lanes, officials said.

A drug-sniffing dog alerted the officers to drugs on the man, and a pat-down search was then conducted. The search revealed two fentanyl-filled bundles hidden in the man's body cavity, officials said. The bundles contained 143.6 grams of fentanyl.

On Jan. 16, officers at the Ysleta port of entry were alerted by a drug-sniffing dog to a vehicle driven by a 20-year-old man, who was a U.S. citizen, officials said. Officers found a mixed load of 18.56 pounds of powdered fentanyl and 63.8 pounds of methamphetamine hidden in the vehicle.

Two days later, officers at the Paso Del Norte border crossing inspected a vehicle driven by a 38-year-old woman, who is a Mexican citizen, and found 29.18 pounds of cocaine hidden in the car.

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Cocaine hidden in propane tank in Tornillo

In Tornillo, officers at the Marcelino Serna port of entry discovered anomalies Jan. 20 within a propane tank in the trunk of a vehicle, officials said. A search by a drug-sniffing dog and "non-intrusive inspection" resulted in officers finding nine cocaine-filled bundles containing 23.36 pounds of the drug, officials said. The driver was a 28-year-old man, who is a Mexican citizen.

Large amount of weed seized in El Paso

Later the same day back in El Paso, Ysleta port of entry officers found 86 marijuana-filled bundles hidden in the trunk area of a vehicle driven by a 32-year-old man, who is a U.S. citizen, officials said. The amount of marijuana totaled 100.95 pounds.

Meth hidden in gas tank in Columbus, New Mexico

On Jan. 23, officers at the Columbus port of entry in Columbus, New Mexico, found multiple methamphetamine-filled bundles hidden in a vehicle's gas tank. The vehicle was driven by a 19-year-old man, who is a Mexican citizen, officials said. The meth found totaled 55.55 pounds.

Pedestrian attempts to smuggle Fentanyl in El Paso

The final major drug bust happened Jan. 24 at the Paso Del Norte International Bridge. A 41-year-old woman, a U.S. citizen, attempted to cross the pedestrian lanes and was selected by officers for a secondary inspection.

A pat-down search was conducted, resulting in officers finding two multicolored fentanyl-filled bundles hidden in a body cavity, officials said. The bundles contained a total of 51.2 grams of fentanyl.

All of the suspected drug smugglers were detained and turned over to Homeland Security Investigations or local law enforcement for prosecution, officials said.

Aaron Martinez may be reached at amartinez1@elpasotimes.com or on Twitter @AMartinezEPT.

This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: CBP seizes hundreds of pounds of drugs at El Paso area ports of entry