CBP Field Operations at Hidalgo International Bridge Arrests Local Man with $1.3 Million Worth of Methamphetamine

HIDALGO, Texas—U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Office of Field Operations (OFO) at the Hidalgo International Bridge arrested a 25-year-old man from Pharr, Texas in connection with a failed drug smuggling attempt of alleged methamphetamine worth $1,348,000 discovered within the vehicle he was driving.

“Seizures like this one illustrate our CBP officers’ ongoing efforts to keep up with the latest smuggling trends and utilize experience and technology to deny the ability for smuggling organizations to profit from this illicit enterprise,” said Port Director Carlos Rodriguez, Port of Hidalgo/Pharr/Anzalduas.

On March 23, 2021, a male U.S. citizen driving a Mazda CX7 arrived at the Hidalgo-Reynosa International Bridge and a CBP officer referred him for further examination. A thorough secondary examination which included the utilization of non-intrusive imaging (NII) equipment resulted in officers discovering that the vehicle’s tires contained suspected narcotics. A total of 88 packages weighing 67.4 pounds (30.58 kg) were removed from all four tires.

CBP OFO seized the narcotics, the vehicle and arrested the driver who was ultimately turned over to the custody of agents with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) as they continue with the investigation.