HIDALGO, TEXAS—U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers at the Hidalgo International Bridge seized methamphetamine valued at over $140,000 and arrested a man from Durango, Mexico in connection with the alleged smuggling attempt.
The seizure/arrest occurred early Friday morning, February 1, after a white Dodge Dakota pickup truck arrived at the Hidalgo-Reynosa International Bridge. The driver, a 30-year-old male Mexican citizen from Gomez Palacios, Durango, Mexico presented his Mexican passport with U.S. visa and was referred to secondary for a more extensive examination. During the course of the secondary examination, officers discovered six packages containing alleged methamphetamine which weighed approximately 4.36 kilograms (9.61 pounds) that were concealed within the vehicle's battery. CBP seized the narcotics, which have an estimated street value of $144,000, and the vehicle as well.
Customs and Border Protection officers arrested the adult male and released him to the custody of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) for further investigation.
"This was an early morning interception of hard narcotics which demonstrates that our officers are always on alert and ready to face smuggling challenges at any time of the day," said Efrain Solis Jr., Port Director, Hidalgo/Pharr/Anzalduas. "There appears to be a trend in this method of attempted narcotic smuggling within our international bridges."