Law Enforcement Seizes $1.5M Worth Of Cartel’s Drugs In One Week

In a decisive move to curb the influx of illegal narcotics, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers stationed at El Paso area ports of entry intercepted significant quantities of fentanyl and cocaine during a week-long operation preceding the Cinco de Mayo holiday. The seizures, totaling 11.2 pounds of fentanyl and 113 pounds of cocaine, represent an estimated street value of $1.5 million.

Hector Mancha, CBP’s Director of Field Operations for El Paso, hailed the efforts of CBP personnel in preventing harmful substances from infiltrating communities, emphasizing, “The drugs seized by our CBP workforce will not cause harm in the communities we share.” He reaffirmed CBP’s commitment to employing various tools to thwart individuals attempting to circumvent inspection protocols.

On April 30, CBP officers at the Bridge of Americas Port of Entry discovered 42.5 pounds of cocaine concealed within a 2013 Hyundai Elantra driven by a 48-year-old U.S. citizen. Anomalies detected in the vehicle’s appearance prompted a thorough inspection, leading to the discovery of 18 packages of cocaine hidden in the rocker panels.

The following day, at the Ysleta Port of Entry, CBP officers uncovered 11.2 pounds of fentanyl powder concealed within a 2012 Ibiza compact car driven by a 26-year-old Mexican national. A detailed examination in the port’s secondary inspection area revealed 15 packages of fentanyl hidden in the vehicle’s console, valued at $230,000.

Further seizures throughout the week resulted in the confiscation of an additional 70.8 pounds of cocaine, contributing to the overall $1.5 million worth of narcotics prevented from reaching distribution networks.

Narcotic smuggling operations orchestrated by Mexican cartels often aim to transport drugs away from border regions, with fentanyl-related overdoses posing a nationwide threat. El Paso County recorded nearly 70 fentanyl-related deaths in 2022, underscoring the urgency of combating the proliferation of this lethal substance.

In response to the rising prevalence of counterfeit pills containing fentanyl, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) initiated the “One Pill Can Kill” campaign, warning the public of the lethal dangers associated with such substances, with DEA testing revealing that 1 in 7 counterfeit pills originating from Mexican drug cartels contain deadly doses of fentanyl.