SOUTH TEXAS – U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers and agriculture specialists at eight South Texas ports of entry seized a significant amount of narcotics, currency, false documents, and uncovered numerous immigration and agricultural violations during Fiscal Year 2014. Fiscal Year 2014 began October 1, 2013 and ended Sept. 30, 2014.
“Our frontline CBP officers at South Texas ports of entry demonstrated their resolute commitment to the border security mission in Fiscal Year 2014 by posting double-digit gains in narcotics interdicted and immigration violations detected,” said Director, Field Operations David P. Higgerson, Laredo Field Office.
During FY 2014, CBP officers at eight ports of entry extending from Brownsville to Del Rio that comprise the Laredo Field Office seized 110,253 pounds of narcotics that carried a combined estimated street value of $437 million. This represents a 19 percent increase over the total amount of drugs seized in FY 2013. Specifically, they seized 99,068 pounds of marijuana, 6,724 pounds of cocaine, up 35 percent over FY 13; 3,698 pounds of methamphetamine, up 28 percent from FY13; 763 pounds of heroin, $4.3 million in undeclared currency, 65 firearms and 26,157 rounds of ammunition.
South Texas CBP officers in FY 2014 determined that a total of 39,071 non-U.S. citizens were inadmissible to the U.S. due to violations of immigration law, a 23 percent increase over FY 13.