2 Men Arrested At Southern Border Trying To Smuggle $3M+ In Heroin Into U.S.
HIDALGO, Texas (CBSDFW.COM) — Two U.S. citizens from Pharr, Texas are in custody for allegedly trying to smuggle more than $3 million in heroin across the southern border.
"These two significant heroin seizures once again illustrate the effectiveness of our robust enforcement posture at the busiest crossing within our port," said Port Director Carlos Rodriguez, Port of Hidalgo/Pharr/Anzalduas. "The ability to detect anomalies within vehicles or with persons is a skill developed with time and experience and this skill enables our officers to advance CBP's border security mission."
Both men were arrested on May 3 at the Hidalgo International Bridge in unrelated incidents involving drugs concealed within the trucks they were driving in from Mexico.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers used non-intrusive imaging equipment to find 33.7 pounds of heroin in a Ford F-150 pickup driven by the 21-year-old suspect. The drugs are valued at $918,000.
Later that evening, a 19-year-old man driving a Chevy Malibu arrived at the same border crossing and a CBP officer referred him for a secondary inspection. That led to the discovery of 24 packages of alleged heroin weighing 91.93 pounds concealed within the car's tires. The street value on those narcotics is $2,500,000.
CBP OFO seized the narcotics, the vehicles and arrested the men who were ultimately turned over to the custody of agents with Homeland Security Investigations as they continue with the investigations.
