Border Cocaine Seizures Hit 17-Month Peak

EL PASO, Texas ( Border Report ) – Seizures of fentanyl at entry points along the Southwest border have continued to drop sharply.

In March, only 673 pounds of the highly dangerous synthetic opioid fentanyl were confiscated by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Office of Field Operations. This represents a notable decline compared to the approximately 2,500 pounds intercepted in July; however, the risk associated with this substance continues to be severe.

This decrease coincides with ongoing efforts from both the U.S. and Mexican authorities to crack down on major drug trafficking groups such as the Sinaloa and Jalisco cartels. According to reports from the Drug Enforcement Administration based on their thorough probes, these syndicates have been pinpointed as key distributors of fentanyl into the country, which correlates with this reduction in confiscations.

Conversely, cocaine confiscations hit a peak over the last 17 months in March, according to the most recent data from CBP that provides comprehensive figures.

Over 3,400 pounds of the potent stimulant were confiscated by OFO at the Southwest border in March, just shy of the 3,500 pounds seized back in October 2023.

Officials from the DEA along with international security experts have informed Border Report about an uptick in activities related to drug smuggling. They link this rise directly to a revival of coca cultivation across South American nations—a crucial factor since these plants serve as the primary source material for producing cocaine. Additionally, changes in strategies employed by global crime syndicates appear to be contributing significantly to the escalation in illegal drug trade.

Border officers primarily are seizing the drug in two places: San Diego and the Rio Grande Valley of Texas. A total of 3,300 pounds was seized between the two sectors in March.

Cocaine is being smuggled into the country through passenger vehicles driven by individuals who take their chances when crossing at U.S. points of entry. In the previous year, approximately 76.5 million personal cars and about 7.5 million freight trucks passed through the U.S.-Mexico border checkpoints. Given that not every vehicle undergoes physical inspection from Customs and Border Protection agents, this makes detecting such illicit operations quite difficult.

Three multi-kilo cocaine busts were reported in the Rio Grande Valley in the space of 24 hours over the weekend, underscoring the alarming frequency of these incidents.

The initial incident involved 21 kilograms concealed in a vehicle operated by a 51-year-old U.S. citizen named Alma Lilia Sanchez.

Sanchez drove her vehicle to the Hidalgo (Texas) port of entry on May 2 and requested admission to the U.S. Records show a CBP officer, as part of routine procedures, sent the car for a random X-ray inspection, and images showed anomalies in the back, prompting further investigation.

A canine officer confirmed the presence of drugs, and border officers went to work on the vehicle. They allegedly found several cellophane-wrapped packages with a powdery substance that tested positive for cocaine, court records show.

A special investigator from the Department of Homeland Security spoke with Sanchez as part of joint operations involving multiple police departments. During this interview, Sanchez reportedly claimed that someone based in Mexico had enlisted her services to smuggle narcotics across the border into the U.S.

The next day in Pharr, Texas, a 19-year-old woman tried to return to the U.S. from Mexico driving a black Kia Rio. The CBP officer interviewing her received a computer-generated notice and sent the woman and the Kia to a secondary inspection area.

Records show an X-ray machine showed anomalies in the panels of the vehicle, resulting in the seizure of 17 bundles of a substance that tested positive for cocaine. The total weight was 17.9 kilograms.

The woman reportedly informed an HSI agent that someone from Mexico had offered to compensate her with $1,000 for transporting narcotics across the border. However, she claimed she believed it involved only a single package.

At around the same time in Laredo, Texas, a vigilant CBP agent detected inconsistencies in the flooring at the rear of a 2013 Ford Edge SUV being operated by U.S. citizen Jimmy Vasquez. The vehicle was directed to secondary inspection. Upon examination, border agents discovered 16.6 kilograms of cocaine beneath the floorboards, according to legal documents. During interviews conducted by HSI, both Vasquez and his Mexican companion, Walter Diaz Nino, first claimed they were traveling to Houston for the purpose of picking up a family member.

The court documents indicate that Diaz ultimately admitted to receiving a payment of $4,500 for transporting the narcotics into the U.S., and Vasquez purportedly stated, "This was his first time smuggling drugs."

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