CBP officers seize methamphetamine and fentanyl at Fort Hancock port

FORT HANCOCK, TEXAS – U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers working at the Fort Hancock port of entry east of El Paso seized 37.8 pounds of methamphetamine and 5.6 pounds of fentanyl April 30. The drugs were hidden in a vehicle being driven by a 22-year-old female U.S. citizen.

“Even though traffic is generally light at the Fort Hancock port of entry our CBP officers remain vigilant and are keenly aware that at any time the next arriving person or vehicle could pose a threat to the safety of our community,” said CBP Marcelino Serna Port Director Eric Fernandez. 

The seizure was made at approximately 7:30 a.m. when a 2013 Nissan Pathfinder with a single occupant arrived from Mexico. CBP officers selected the vehicle for a secondary exam. 

A CBP drug sniffing dog searched the vehicle and alerted to the presence of narcotics. CBP officers continued the exam and located 38 bundles inside the dashboard area of the vehicle. 

A total of 34 bundles contained methamphetamine while the contents of the remaining four bundles held multi-colored fentanyl pills. 

CBP officers arrested the driver. She was turned over to Homeland Security Investigations special agents to face federal importation of a controlled substance charges. 

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is America's frontline: the nation's largest law enforcement organization and the world's first unified border management agency. The 65,000+ men and women of CBP protect America on the ground, in the air, and on the seas. We facilitate safe, lawful travel and trade and ensure our country's economic prosperity. We enhance the nation's security through innovation, intelligence, collaboration, and trust.