CBP officers seize methamphetamine at El Paso port of entry

EL PASO, TEXAS — U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers working at the Paso Del Norte port of entry seized 70.4 pounds of methamphetamine May 4. The drugs were hidden in a vehicle being driven by a 55-year-old female U.S. citizen. The woman was traveling with her teen grandchild at the time of the encounter.

“This is not the first time CBP has encountered grandparents smuggling drugs while traveling with family members,” said CBP El Paso Port Director Ray Provencio. “Smugglers will employ any and all forms of deception in an effort to blend in with legitimate traffic in an attempt to decrease suspicion that they are involved in illicit activity.”

The seizure was made just before noon Sunday when a 2006 Honda Accord with two passengers arrived from Mexico. A CBP officer working at the primary inspection booth selected the vehicle for a secondary exam after spotting a bundle in the rear quarter panel.

A CBP drug sniffing dog searched the vehicle and alerted to the presence of narcotics. A Z-Portal x-ray scan confirmed anomalies in the appearance of the vehicle. CBP officers continued the exam and located 57 drug filled bundles inside the car.

CBP officers arrested the driver. She was turned over to the Texas Department of Public Safety to face charges associated with the failed smuggling attempt.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is America's frontline: the nation's largest law enforcement organization and the world's first unified border management agency. The 65,000+ men and women of CBP protect America on the ground, in the air, and on the seas. We facilitate safe, lawful travel and trade and ensure our country's economic prosperity. We enhance the nation's security through innovation, intelligence, collaboration, and trust.