Feds bust 8-figure sum of drugs in about a week
Smugglers unsuccessfully tried to bring millions of dollars of cocaine across the border via the U.S. Virgin Islands Monday, adding to a busy week of busts across the southern U.S.
The tanker truck filled with cocaine was loaded onto the Santo Domingo – San Juan ferry at the Pan American Dock.
According to a press release, U.S. Customs and Border Protection busted the shipment using “non-intrusive scanners” that inspect cargo.
“Inside the tank, officers discovered cylinder containers,” with 122 bricks of cocaine worth about $3.5 million.
141 kilos of cocaine were found inside this tanker.(Courtesy CBP)
“Our officers’ outstanding ability to work as a team, along with the utilization of all available tools, resulted in the detection of these narcotics, preventing their entrance into our communities,” assistant director of field operations for border security in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, Roberto Vaquero explained.
According to the last week of busts reported on CBP’s website, here’s a look at how many drugs have attempted to make it into the U.S. – which reached upwards of 8 figures worth of busts:
$850,000
17 bundles of meth wrapped in clear cellophane and tin foil were found in a vehicle north of the U.S. / Mexico border near El Paso, Texas. (Courtesy CBP)
On the southern border near Alamogordo, N.M., agents found 17 bundles of methamphetamine weighing over 25 pounds.
$850,000 +
38 pounds of heroin and cocaine discovered near Laredo, Texas (Courtesy CBP)
In Laredo, Texas, CBP announced they had made two busts with a combined street value of $859,080.
Meth, heroin and cocaine were all allegedly found with preliminary testing.
Six-figures (estimated)
46.5 pounds of cocaine found inside of orange boxes. (Courtesy CBP)
In Fort Lauderdale, Fla., a K-9 helped flag 46.5 pounds of cocaine found inside of orange boxes arriving from the Dominican Republic.
$1 million
Drugs concealed in a vehicle found near Nogales, Ariz. (Courtesy CBP)
In Arizona, within a week, CBP officers seized more than 7 figures worth of meth, heroin, marijuana and fentanyl.
A combination of heroin and fentanyl inside of a spare tire (Courtesy CBP).
Photos from all of the busts show some of the ways smugglers tried to conceal within their vehicles.
$1.3 million
Four flower boxes arriving at the Rafael Hernandez International Airport contained 53 kilos of cocaine.
$1.8 million
88 pounds of methamphetamine found in Texas. (Courtesy CBP)
Pharr, Texas CBP agents found 17 packages of methamphetamine hidden in a commercial truck arriving to the U.S. from Mexico. The 88 pounds of drugs were found inside the truck’s tires.
$5.8 + million
Packages containing 152 pounds of methamphetamine (Courtesy CBP)
Multiple busts at the Hidalgo International Bridge brought in nearly $6 million worth of narcotics.
Cocaine, methamphetamine and liquid meth were found in different vehicles – discovered with a canine team and non-intrusive imaging scans.