EL PASO, TEXAS -- U.S. Customs and Border Protection Office of Field Operations officers working at the El Paso port of entry seized 10.45 pounds of crystal methamphetamine Monday afternoon. The drugs have an estimated street value of $334,400.
Methamphetamine-filled bundles in rocker panels
“CBP officer expertise, technology, and our canines all played a role in this seizure,” said CBP El Paso Port Director Beverly Good. “Layered enforcement has proven to be an effective way to identify and stop drug smuggling attempts.”
The seizure was made at approximately 2:45 p.m. when a 1996 Nissan Quest van arrived at the Ysleta international crossing from Mexico. A CBP officer at the primary inspection station interviewed the driver and then selected the vehicle for a secondary exam.
CBP officers scanned the vehicle at the Z-Portal x-ray system and noted anomalies in the rocker panels and quarter panels. CBP drug sniffing dog “Meri” search the van and alerted to the same areas. CBP officers removed nine drug-filled bundles from the compartments.
CBP officers arrested the driver, 18-year-old Christina Edith Cervantes Avalos of Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico. She was turned over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations special agents to face charges associated with the failed smuggling attempt.