Customs and Border Protection officers bust 18-year-old with 10 pounds of meth at border crossing
U.S. Customs and Border Protection Office of Field Operations officers arrested an 18-year-old woman for allegedly trying to smuggle 10.45 pounds of crystal methamphetamine April 6.
The drugs have an estimated street value of $334,400.
“CBP officer expertise, technology, and our canines all played a role in this seizure,” said CBP El Paso Port Director Beverly Good. “Layered enforcement has proven to be an effective way to identify and stop drug smuggling attempts.”
The seizure was made at about 2:45 p.m. April 6 when a 1996 Nissan Quest van arrived at the Ysleta international crossing from Mexico.
A CBP officer at the primary inspection station interviewed the 18-year-old driver and selected the vehicle for a secondary exam.
CBP officers scanned the vehicle at the Z-Portal x-ray system and noted anomalies in the rocker panels and quarter panels.
CBP drug sniffing dog “Meri” search the van and alerted to the same areas, according to CBP officials.
CBP officers removed nine drug-filled bundles from the compartments.
CBP officers arrested the driver, Christina Edith Cervantes Avalos of Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico.
She was turned over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations special agents to face charges associated with the failed smuggling attempt.
