Major drug bust shocks Southern border: $10.2M of narcotics seized
A pile of hard narcotics, reportedly worth more than $10.2 million on the streets, was seized at the Southern border in Laredo, Texas on Dec. 21, 2023. (U.S. Customs and Border Protection)
LAREDO, Texas - A massive multi-million-dollar drug bust is compounding recent concerns along the Southern border.
Officers from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection successfully intercepted and seized hard narcotics with a staggering street value exceeding $10,200,000 at the World Trade Bridge in Laredo, Texas on December 21.
"CBP is proud of the work our frontline officers do to ensure the safety and wellbeing of our communities. This significant seizure is an example of ongoing operational efforts conducted daily to protect our borders," Port Director Alberto Flores of the Laredo Port of Entry. Director Flores stated.
A vigilant CBP officer flagged a 2001 Freightliner tractor-trailer for a secondary inspection. The truck was reportedly hauling a utility refrigerated trailer with a listed commercial shipment of cut flowers. K-9s were brought in and non-intrusive inspection system examinations were conducted, ultimately leading to the concealed narcotics within the cargo.
A total of 164.72 pounds of alleged methamphetamine in powder form, 854.07 pounds of alleged methamphetamine in crystal form, and 165.34 pounds of alleged cocaine were seized from the tractor trailer. The combined street value of these narcotics amounted to an astonishing $10,298,520.
The confiscated narcotics are now subject to investigation by Homeland Security Investigations special agents.
The latest on the Texas border crisis
The besieged U.S. southern border saw a record number of migrant encounters in a single day on Monday, as thousands flooded into Eagle Pass, Texas, amid a broader surge in recent weeks that has left authorities overwhelmed. That is located a little more than 95 miles northwest of the World Trade Bridge.
More than 12,600 migrants were documents by CBP. That does not include the thousands still waiting for processing in the Del Rio Sector on Monday evening after a surge of migrants into Eagle Pass. The number includes over 11,000 illegal immigrant apprehensions and over 1,600 encountered at ports of entry.
As of Tuesday morning, sources told Fox that agents are still processing and transporting more than 4,500 migrants at the busy crossing point, with more than 5,300 already in custody and facilities at 260% over capacity.
It means that the tiny border sector is dealing with over 10,000 total migrants, which is roughly a third of the entire of Eagle Pass itself, and agents are outmanned to a ratio of 200:1.
Meanwhile, there were over 3,000 encounters on Monday at the Tucson Sector in Arizona, where agents have also been overwhelmed and where Arizona's Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs deployed the National Guard to help.
The border saw a record number of encounters in FY 23, with 2.4 million coming across the border. September was the highest month on record, while October was the highest October on record. November and December, a time when migration is typically slowing down, are looking likely to post record or near-record numbers, as well as agents now routinely see over 10,000 encounters a day.
On Wednesday, a top U.S. delegation met with Mexico's president in what many saw as an attempt to have Mexico do more to limit a surge of migrants reaching the U.S. southwestern border.
Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador has said he is willing to help, but he wants to see progress in U.S. relations with Cuba and Venezuela, two of the top sources of migrants, along with more development aid for the region.
But Mexico's top priority appeared to be getting the United States to reopen border crossings that were closed because of the migrant surge.
Both sides in the talks face pressure to reach an agreement after past steps like limiting direct travel into Mexico or deporting some migrants failed to stop the influx.
FOX News and The Associated Press contributed to this report. This story is being reported out of Atlanta.