EAGLE PASS, TEXAS—U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at the Eagle Pass port of entry foiled an attempt by two local teenage girls to smuggle more than $40,000 worth of methamphetamine into the country.
Shortly after 5 p.m. Monday, CBP officers at Eagle Pass International Bridge I inspected a 2011 Chevrolet Malibu, driven by an 18-year-old Eagle Pass woman, as it arrived from Mexico. During routine records checks, officers discovered that the car had been reported stolen. Moreover, a government database revealed that a passenger in the car, a 15-year-old girl - who was accompanied by her infant child - had been reported as a missing juvenile. CBP officers discovered that the 15-year-old was carrying several packages of methamphetamine, weighing a total of 3.17 pounds, worth an estimated $47,550.
The 15-year-old was turned over to the Maverick County Sheriff's Office for juvenile prosecution. The 18-year-old was turned over to Homeland Security Investigations for federal prosecution.
"Our frontline CBP officers routinely use law enforcement databases when inspecting people and vehicles entering the country," said Cynthia O. Rodriguez, Eagle Pass port director. "In this instance, database queries revealed multiple entries and ultimately led to the seizure of a load of dangerous narcotics."
The Office of Field Operations is the primary organization within U.S. Customs and Border Protection tasked with an anti-terrorism mission at our nation's ports. CBP officers screen all people, vehicles and goods entering the United States, while facilitating the flow of legitimate trade and travel. Their mission also includes carrying out border-related duties, including narcotics interdiction, enforcing immigration and trade laws, and protecting the nation's food supply and agriculture industry from pests and diseases.