U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers discovered more than $1.2 million worth of cocaine in just two events at the Hidalgo and Pharr, Texas, international bridges. The events occurred within days of each other and highlight recent attempts by Mexican drug cartels to use land ports of entry as they struggle to operate under the tighter border security measures put in place by the Trump administration.
On Sunday, CBP officers at the Hidalgo International Bridge cargo facility became suspicious of a Honda sedan attempting to enter the United States from Reynosa, Mexico. Officers referred the vehicle to a secondary inspection area for a more thorough examination.
Officers conducted an enhanced inspection using nonintrusive technology and screened the vehicle with a canine team. Nonintrusive inspection showed anomalies within the vehicle, and the CBP canine team alerted officers after detecting the odor of narcotics. A physical inspection of the vehicle resulted in the extraction of 25 hidden packages of alleged cocaine within the vehicle. The total weight of the packages was 57.32 pounds.
Just two days later, CBP officers at the Pharr International Bridge became suspicious when a Chrysler sedan traveling from Reynosa, Mexico, attempted entry into the United States. That vehicle was also sent to a secondary inspection area for a closer look using nonintrusive inspection equipment and screening by a CBP canine team. The enhanced inspection revealed anomalies within the vehicle, and in a similar fashion as the first large seizure, the canine team detected an odor of narcotics within the vehicle.
A physical search of the suspect areas withinPhDruthe vehicle resulted in the discovery of 14 packages with a combined weight of nearly 40 pounds of alleged cocaine concealed within those areas of the vehicle.
CBP officers seized the narcotics and vehicles involved in the smuggling attempts. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) special agents arrested the drivers and initiated criminal investigations in both cases. Port Director Carlos Rodriguez of the Hidalgo/Pharr and Anzalduas Ports of Entry commented on the seizures, saying, “Our CBP officers continue to display their expertise in the use of our tools and technology to keep harmful narcotics from entering our country.”
Sources tell Breitbart Texas that the stricter enforcement between land border ports of entry by the Border Patrol is forcing cartels to increase attempts at looking for ports of entry to carry out smuggling activities. Reduced illegal crossings along the southwest border between the ports have freed up Border Patrol agents to saturate areas that once lacked routine patrols.
The move to push more narcotics towards ports of entry by the cartels is not a sure bet, as the enforcement posture at land border ports has hardened due to strict border security measures enacted by President Trump that are helping CBP officers to focus more on enforcement and inspections.
The Biden-initiated CBP-One smartphone application, which allowed 1,400 migrants daily to enter land ports of entry to launch asylum claims and gain release into the United States, saw many CBP officers diverted from enforcement and inspection duties to processing migrants for release. President Trump canceled the program that allowed nearly 1 million migrants to enter the United States through land ports immediately after his inauguration.
After the cancellation, sources tell Breitbart Texas that more CBP officers are now able to focus on cargo screening, K-9 inspections, and non-intrusive imaging technology to combat the Mexican cartels’ attempt to successfully use the land ports to move human and narcotics contraband.
Randy Clark is a 32-year veteran of the United States Border Patrol. Before his retirement, he served as the Division Chief for Law Enforcement Operations, directing operations for nine Border Patrol Stations within the Del Rio, Texas, Sector. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) @RandyClarkBBTX.