Customs officers seize 354 pounds of methamphetamine at US-Mexico border

EL PASO, Texas — Customs officers seized 354 pounds of methamphetamine that were concealed in the bed of a pickup truck that was entering the United States from Mexico, authorities said.

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According to a news release from U.S. Customs and Border Protection, officers working at the Paso Del Norte international crossing in El Paso on Saturday encountered a Dodge Ram truck driven by a 31-year-old Mexican woman.

A K-9 alerted officers to the presence of narcotics in the bed of the truck, the release stated.

The vehicle was subjected to a secondary inspection, and customs officers discovered 161 foil-wrapped bundles hidden beneath the truck’s bed liner.

The contents of the bundles tested positive for methamphetamine, the news release stated.

Customs officers detained the driver, who was turned over to the Texas Department of Public Safety.

“This is an enormous seizure and demonstrates the need for CBP officers to remain vigilant at all times,” Hector Mancha, El Paso’s director of field operations, said in a statement. “CBP officers utilized a variety of tools to identify and stop this smuggler.”