A dog sniffs out 354 pounds of methamphetamine hidden in a pickup truck at the US border

Authorities recently seized 354 pounds of methamphetamine hidden inside a pickup truck that crossed the border into the United States from Mexico. The drugs were found and collected by US Customs and Border Protection officers at the Paso del Norte International Crossing, which connects El Paso in Texas and Ciudad Juarez in the Mexican state of Chihuahua.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection said in a press release issued Monday that the seizure occurred at approximately 4 p.m. local time on Saturday.

“This is a massive seizure and demonstrates the need for CBP officers to remain vigilant at all times,” Hector Mancha, director of field operations for U.S. Customs and Border Protection in El Paso, said in the statement. “CBP officers used a variety of tools to identify and stop this smuggler.”

Customs and Border Protection officers were conducting what the agency called a “pre-initial enforcement operation” in an area near the inspection booths on the Mexican side of the crossing when a drug-sniffing dog encountered a Dodge Ram pickup truck and marked the truck bed. The Car.

A 31-year-old Mexican woman was driving the truck, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Officers directed the vehicle to a secondary inspection area and performed a Z-gate X-ray — an inspection system used to inspect trucks — which “noted anomalies.”

They conducted a physical examination and discovered 161 packages wrapped in aluminum foil and hidden in the Dodge Ram’s bed liner. The contents of the packages tested positive for methamphetamine, and the 31-year-old driver was taken into custody by CBP officers. They turned the driver over to the Texas Department of Public Safety, which will handle charges related to the alleged smuggling attempt. Customs and Border Protection did not provide details about the charges.

Border Patrol officers at various locations along the U.S.-Mexico border in recent months have thwarted other alleged smuggling attempts involving large quantities of illicit drugs.

In September, officers seized 384 packages containing 870 pounds of methamphetamine at a port of entry near Laredo, on the easternmost point of the Texas border. CBS Texas mentioned. The drugs were discovered inside a shipment of lemons, and their market value is estimated at more than $7.7 million.

Around El Paso, which lies on the western side of the Texas-Mexico border, authorities said in 2021 they found 802 pounds of methamphetamine throughout the fiscal year. CBS Texas Citing US Customs and Border Protection. This number represents a 133% increase in methamphetamine seizures compared to previous years.