EL PASO: U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers made five drug busts Wednesday at an El Paso port of entry.
The officers seized 5.45 pounds of heroin in one case, 14.65 pounds of methamphetamine in a pair of seizures, and 198 pounds of marijuana in two additional enforcement actions. The estimated street value of the seized contraband is $801,600.
“The drug smuggling threat remains high and CBP agriculture specialists and CBP officers continue to work hard to identify and stop this illegal activity,” said Beverly Good, CBP El Paso Port Director.
Heroin Case:
CBP officers arrested the traveler, 24-year-old Ariadna Melisa Diaz Zapata of Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico, in the heroin case. She was turned over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement HSI agents to face charges associated with the failed smuggling attempt.
Meth Seizures:
The first methamphetamine seizure was made at 10:15 a.m. at the Bridge of the Americas international crossing when a pedestrian carrying a suitcase entered the port from Mexico. The drugs weighed 7.35 pounds. CBP officers arrested the traveler, 18-year-old Argeniz Ivan Rojo Felix of Phoenix, Arizona. He was turned over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement HSI agents to face charges associated with the failed smuggling attempt.
In the second methamphetamine seizure CBP agriculture specialists and CBP officers noticed another traveler with a similar suitcase as the traveler they just identified as a smuggler. CBP agriculture specialists scanned the suitcase the traveler was carrying which showed anomalies in the appearance of the bag. CBP drug sniffing dog “Meri” searched the suitcase and alerted to the presence of narcotics. CBP officers and CBP agriculture specialists continued their exam and located two packages of methamphetamine concealed in the suitcase lining. The drugs weighed 7.30 pounds.
CBP officers arrested the traveler, 22-year-old Josie Amezcua of Culiacan, Sinaloa, Mexico. She was turned over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement HSI agents to face charges associated with the failed smuggling attempt.
Marijuana Seizures
In addition to the pedestrian intercepts CBP officers at the El Paso port also made two marijuana seizures totaling 198 pounds Wednesday. The drugs in those cases were concealed in cars.
