12-15-2022 2:11pm

US Border Patrol Apprehensions & Update El Paso Alamogordo Sectors

Chris Edwards Editor

U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers working at El Paso and Santa Teresa, as well as Alamogordo New Mexico area ports of entry and checkpoints have intercepted significant amounts of methamphetamine, cocaine, fentanyl and heroin in multiple separate incidents.

Additionally they have intercepted human smuggling activities and made additional apprehensions during December.

Some recent highlights as reported by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection public information officers…

“CBP officers remain steadfast in their commitment to stopping any and all threats at the border,” said CBP El Paso Director of Field Operations Hector A. Mancha. “The seizures from this weekend remind us that smugglers can be young adults, middle aged border crossers, or even senior citizens.”

An interception occurred on Dec. 9, at the Bridge of the Americas border crossing when a 65-year-old female U.S. citizen arrived from Mexico via the vehicle lanes. Upon primary inspection by a CBP officer, anomalies were detected within the vehicle. Following a CBP canine and non-intrusive inspection CBP officers located 55.11 pounds of methamphetamine.

December 6th Over Alamogordo agents seized 2.3 kilograms of cocaine at the Highway 54 checkpoint. After consent to search the vehicle, agents discovered one bundle in plain view & another concealed inside a battery compartment located inside the trunk. One U.S. citizen was taken into custody and will face federal charges for the drug smuggling scheme.

Another interception occurred on Dec. 11, at the Bridge of the Americas Border crossing when a 43-year-old male Mexican citizen arrived from Mexico via the vehicle lanes. The vehicle was referred for a secondary inspection where with the aid of a CBP canine and non-intrusive inspection CBP officers discovered 7.14 pounds of cocaine.

And an interception occurred a few hours later at the Ysleta Border crossing when a 36-year-old female U.S. citizen arrived from Mexico via the vehicle lanes. The vehicle was referred for a secondary inspection that included screening by a CBP canine and non-intrusive inspection. The inspections led CBP officers to locate multiple mixed bundles containing 4.89 pounds of heroin, 3.26 pounds of fentanyl and 2.68 pounds of cocaine.

December 11th at the Santa Teresa port of entry when a 28-year-old female U.S. citizen arrived from Mexico via the vehicle lanes. The vehicle was referred for a secondary inspection where with the aid of a CBP canine and non-intrusive exam, CBP officers discovered 80.24 pounds of methamphetamine.

The subjects arrested by CBP officers were turned over to Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and/or state and local authorities for prosecution.

The Las Cruces Station agents working the I-25 checkpoint intercepted 51 migrants attempting to be smuggled further into the US, by smugglers, in 7 different vehicles.

Today at the Ysleta Station the Anti-Smuggling Unit collaborated with TX DPS to disrupt human smuggling schemes. Starting on I-10, with the interception of 10 smuggled migrants along with the smuggler located inside an SUV. Information received from this scheme led to a local stash house where an additional 17 migrants were located. The smugglers will face federal charges. In the last 72-hours, El Paso Sector agents intercepted 97 smuggled migrants from foiled smuggling schemes.

and finally Agents assigned to the Anti-Smuggling Unit along with HSI disrupted a vehicular smuggling scheme resulting in the interception of 8 smuggled migrants and the arrest of 2 Venezuelan National smugglers involved in the scheme. Seven adults and a 1-year-old, from Mexico, Guatemala and Honduras were located crammed in the back seats of the vehicle.