CBP officers discover liquid methamphetamine load in fuel tank

Customs and Border Protection officers seized 177 pounds of liquid methamphetamine on Wednesday.

The drugs were concealed in plastic bottles concealed within the fuel tank of a 2009 Ford van..

“This is a large amount of a very dangerous drug,” said Beverly Good, CBP El Paso Port Director. “We are working hard every day to stop the flow of drugs and other dangerous items.”

The discovery and seizure was made just before 3 p.m. when a Ford van with a single male driver entered the Paso Del Norte International Port of Entry from Mexico.

The vehicle was selected for a secondary exam during which a Z-Portal x-ray scan helped officers identify anomalies in the fuel tank.

Officers removed the fuel tank and found 64 one-liter plastic bottles in it containing a suspicious substance.

The contents of the bottles tested positive for methamphetamine.

The 38-year-old Mexican driver was turned over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement HSI special agents to face charges associated with the failed drug smuggling attempt.