U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at the Paso Del Norte port of entry in El Paso seized 70.4 pounds of methamphetamine on May 4. The drugs were discovered in a vehicle driven by a 55-year-old female U.S. citizen, who was accompanied by her teenage grandchild.
“This is not the first time CBP has encountered grandparents smuggling drugs while traveling with family members,” said CBP El Paso Port Director Ray Provencio. “Smugglers will employ any and all forms of deception in an effort to blend in with legitimate traffic in an attempt to decrease suspicion that they are involved in illicit activity.”
The incident occurred just before noon on Sunday when a 2006 Honda Accord with two passengers arrived from Mexico. A CBP officer at the primary inspection booth selected the vehicle for further examination after noticing a suspicious bundle in the rear quarter panel.
A CBP drug-sniffing dog indicated the presence of narcotics, and a Z-Portal x-ray scan revealed anomalies within the vehicle's structure. Officers continued their examination and found 57 bundles containing drugs inside the car.
The driver was arrested and handed over to the Texas Department of Public Safety to face charges related to the smuggling attempt.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) describes itself as America's frontline: "the nation's largest law enforcement organization and the world's first unified border management agency." The agency's more than 65,000 personnel work to protect America across various terrains, facilitating lawful travel and trade while enhancing national security through innovation, intelligence, collaboration, and trust.
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