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  4. Presidio Port of Entry Makes Record Drug Bust

Presidio Port of Entry Makes Record Drug Bust

Release Date
Fri, 01/13/2017

PRESIDIO, Texas -- U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Office of Field Operations officers working at the Presidio port of entry seized a total of 61 pounds of crystal methamphetamine in separate seizures Wednesday and Thursday. The street value of the narcotics is nearly 2 million dollars.

40 pound methamphetamine load.
40 pound methamphetamine load

The first interception occurred at 9:00 a.m. Wednesday when a 24-year-old male Mexican citizen made entry driving a 1999 Nissan Tsuru. A CBP officer referred the vehicle to secondary for an intensive inspection. In secondary officers inspected the front bumper of the vehicle utilizing a density measuring device and received high readings consistent with hidden contraband. The vehicle was driven through an x-ray system where anomalies were observed in both front and rear bumpers. Breakdown of both bumpers resulted in the discovery of 34 packages containing a white crystalline substance which field tested positive for the properties of methamphetamine. The total weight of the packages was 40 pounds. The largest methamphetamine seizure at the Presidio port stood at 38 pounds which occurred in 2004 before the Wednesday bust.

The second encounter took place at 8:00 a.m. Thursday. CBP officers directed a 2008 Volkswagen Jetta driven by a 26-year-old Mexican male driver to the secondary area for an intensive inspection. A Z-Portal scan of the vehicle revealed anomalies in the dashboard of the vehicle. Dismantling of the dashboard resulted in the discovery of 19 packages containing a substance which tested positive for methamphetamine. A total of 21 pounds of crystal methamphetamines was removed from the dash board area.

21 pound methamphetamine load.
21 pound methamphetamine load

“The narcotic interception Wednesday morning set a new crystal methamphetamine seizure record for the port,” stated acting Port Director Steven Green. “Due to the vigilance and dedication of our officers these dangerous drugs never made it to American streets.”

Both drivers were arrested and turned over to HSI ICE agents to face federal smuggling charges.

While anti-terrorism is the primary mission of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the inspection process at the ports of entry associated with this mission results in impressive numbers of enforcement actions in all categories.

Last Modified: Feb 03, 2021