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CBP foils attempt to smuggle load of meth through El Paso border crossing

EL PASO, Texas (Border Report) — A Mexican woman attempted to smuggle hundreds of pounds of neatly wrapped meth on Saturday at the Paso Del Norte Bridge in Downtown El Paso, U.S. Customs and Border Protection said.

The Dodge Ram she was driving was in the line leading up to the inspection booths when a drug-sniffing dog alerted border officers to the truck bed, prompting a secondary inspection.

Border officers X-rayed the truck and found 161 foil-wrapped bundles that looked like silver bars under the bed liner. They tested the contents of the bundles and determined that it was 354 pounds of meth.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers working at the Paso Del Norte international crossing seized 354 pounds of methamphetamine Nov. 18, 2023. The drugs were concealed in the bed of a pick-up truck that entered the U.S. from Mexico. (CBP)

According to a news release, CBP officers took custody of the 31-year-old driver and turned her over to the Texas Department of Public Safety.

Hector Mancha, the director of CBP’s Office of Field Operations in El Paso, noted that CBP officers utilized a variety of tools to identify and stop the alleged smuggler.

“This is an enormous seizure and demonstrates the need for CBP officers to remain vigilant at all times,” he said.