ANIMALS
354 Pounds Of Methamphetamine Sniffed By Dog Seized At El Paso Border Crossing
U.S. CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION
A U.S. Customs and Border Protection dog alerted officers at the Paso Del Norte crossing in El Paso, Texas, to 354 pounds of methamphetamine hidden in the bed of a pickup truck over the weekend, authorities said Monday.
The CBP said officers were conducting a pre-primary enforcement operation just south of the inspection booths at the crossing when they encountered a Dodge Ram truck driven by 31-year-old Mexican woman. The agency said a drug-sniffing dog alerted to the bed of the truck, and officers escorted the truck to an inspection area.
A Z-Portal x-ray scan revealed anomalies, so officers conducted a physical search and found 161 foil-wrapped bundles hidden under the liner of the truck bed. The packages tested positive for methamphetamine, and together weighed 354 pounds, the agency said.
“This is an enormous seizure and demonstrates the need for CBP officers to remain vigilant at all times,” CBP El Paso Director of Field Operation Hector Mancha said in a statement. “CBP officers utilized a variety of tools to identify and stop this smuggler.”
CBP said the driver was turned over to the Texas Department of Public Safety to face charges for attempted smuggling.
TMX contributed to this article.
