Border Patrol Agents Make $1 Million Cocaine Bust Along Texas Border

HOUSTON, Texas — Border Patrol agents seized more than $1 million worth of cocaine in one bust along the Texas-Mexico border. At the time of the bust, the drugs were in the possession of a Mexican man who was attempting to enter the United States.

The incident occurred November 14 on the Pharr International Bridge, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). The 25-year-old Mexican male was driving a white Honda across the bridge when agents stopped him and referred him for secondary inspection. According to CBP, the man presented a Mexican border crossing card to officers.

Officers ultimately found 15 packages of cocaine in the man’s vehicle using a “non-intrusive imaging system.” The drugs weighed more than 37 pounds.

CBP seized the drugs and vehicle; the Mexican man was turned over to Homeland Security Investigations.

CBP Port Director Efrain Solis Jr. said in a statement, “Excellent teamwork from our frontline officers contributed to this significant seizure of hard narcotics. The ability to detect inconsistencies and anomalies with travelers and vehicles is how every smuggling interception is initiated and ultimately how drugs are kept from being introduced into our communities.”

$10 million drug busts were a weekly event in South Texas earlier this year, during the border crisis.

Although the number of illegal crossers along the Texas-Mexico border has slowed since the summer, those figures may spike again soon. If President Obama takes unilateral action on immigration reform, it could result in a new wave of illegal immigrants — and Texans may be stuck footing the bill for additional border security. Obama is expected to announce an immigration plan as early as next week

It is possible that another spike in illegal immigration could lead to more drugs making their way into the United States.

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