On September 28, 2024, Federal Agents made two drug busts on the International Bridges connecting Texas and Mexico. These operations successfully prevented nearly 18 million dollars worth of drugs from reaching the streets of the United States.
The largest of the two seizures occurred on the Pharr International Bridge when U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers chose to inspect a large truckload of coconuts crossing into Texas from Reynosa, Mexico.
Hidden beneath all those coconuts was a massive amount of methamphetamine—378 packets containing approximately 1,950 pounds of the narcotic—with a street value of $17,431,729.
The Mexican Cartels know that the Pharr International Bridge is a common crossing point for fruit and vegetable shippers into Texas, and they frequently employ the trucks hauling them to conceal significant quantities of drugs.
On August 1, 2024, CBP Officers made a significant discovery at the Pharr International Bridge. They found 3,429 pounds of meth cleverly concealed in green wrappers, as an attempt to blend in with a truckload of lettuce. This seizure, worth a staggering $48 million dollars, not only set a new record but also highlighted the ingenuity of drug smugglers.
In 2017, CBP Officers on the Pharr International Bridge stumbled upon a surprising find. They discovered over 34,000 small bundles of marijuana cleverly concealed within a shipment of key limes. The illicit substances were ingeniously wrapped in green paper, blending seamlessly with the genuine fruits.
Officers discovered that the purported fruit turned out to be counterfeit, resulting in a staggering weight of nearly 4,000 pounds of marijuana, with an estimated value exceeding $749,000.
During their inspection, the officers made a significant discovery. They uncovered a total of six packages concealed within the quarter panels of a van. Two of the packages contained approximately 4.4 pounds of heroin, while the remaining four contained around 9.1 pounds of cocaine. The estimated street value of these narcotics amounted to an impressive $212,209.32.
