HIDALGO, Texas—Officers with U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Office of Field Operations (OFO) at the Hidalgo/Pharr/Anzalduas Port of Entry have intercepted $2,005,294 in narcotics, detected five impostors in violation of U.S. immigration law and arrested eight other person wanted on outstanding arrest warrants.
Bundles containing 166 pounds of methamphetamine seized by CBP officers at Hidalgo/Pharr/Anzalduas Port of Entry
“Our work at CBP’s Office of Field Operations is unique and diverse in that not only are we tasked with facilitating legitimate trade and travel, but we are at the frontline of this great country’s borders, working towards our mission of keeping dangerous drugs, people and prohibited items from entering the U.S.” said Port Director Efrain Solis Jr., Hidalgo/Pharr/Anzalduas Port of Entry.
Within the first two weeks of April, CBP officers assigned to the Hidalgo/Pharr/Anzalduas Port of Entry have intercepted $1,136,620 in alleged cocaine, $833,339 in methamphetamine and $35,335 in marijuana. Officers assigned to passport control have detected five impostors, people attempting to utilize legitimate travel/entry documents belonging to someone else, either valid U.S. birth certificates or Mexican border crossing cards. CBP also arrested eight persons wanted on arrest warrants ranging from child support violators, injury to a child to parole violators.
Our CBP agriculture specialists were also busy checking for agriculture-related violations, assessing a significant amount in civil penalties to travelers who failed to declare prohibited fruits and also intercepted prohibited items for other agencies such as Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Besides the prohibited fruits, items seized included deer antlers and kinder eggs, which are popular during Easter. The FDA has issued an import alert for kinder eggs, because they are a confectionery product with a non-nutritive object imbedded in it. As in years past, CBP, FDA and Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) work in close collaboration to ensure the safety of imported goods by examining, sampling and testing products that may present such import safety hazards.
CBP’s Hidalgo/Pharr/Anzalduas Port of Entry is part of the South Texas Campaign, which leverages federal, state and local resources to combat transnational criminal organizations.