EL PASO, Texas (Border Report) — Three separate border seizures yielded nearly $6 million worth of liquid methamphetamine and over $200,000 in undeclared cash at South Texas ports of entry, U.S. Customs and Border Protection said in a news release.
On Feb. 23, border officers at the Hidalgo-Reynosa International Bridge in Hidalgo, Texas, discovered 171 pounds of liquid meth worth $3.4 million inside the gas tank of an SUV driven by a 36-year-old man from Reynosa, Mexico.
At the same border crossing the previous day, a drug-sniffing dog alerted CBP officers to a Volkswagen Touareg driven by a 20-year-old man from Guadalupe, Mexico. Officers conducted a secondary inspection and discovered 119 pounds of liquid meth valued at $2.4 million.
On Feb. 22, border officers conducting outbound inspections at the Anzalduas International Bridge — about 5 miles away in McAllen — stopped a 23-year-old from Guadalajara in Kia Forte that was headed into Mexico. Officers discovered 18 bundles of cash totaling $214,000.
CBP seized the narcotics, currency and vehicles, while the three men were turned over to the custody of HSI agents.
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“Our officers continue to demonstrate their resiliency and resolve towards CBP’s mission of keeping drugs from entering our country at the U.S.-Mexico border,” said Carlos Rodriguez, director for the ports of Hidalgo, Pharr and Anzalduas. “CBP is the first line of defense at the border and we will continue to stem this flow to the best of our ability.”
In its release, CBP noted that while it is not a crime to carry more than $10,000, it is a federal offense not to declare the currency upon entry or exit from the U.S. Failure to declare may result in seizure of the currency and/or arrest. However, an individual may petition for the return of money if they can prove that its source and intended use are legitimate.
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