Border agents stop big marijuana loads worth $2 million at El Paso port

EL PASO, Texas -- U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers said they seized thousands of pounds of marijuana valued at over $2 million in a pair of huge drug busts this week at the El Paso port of entry.

The first drug load seizure came at Bridge of the Americas where hundreds of "bundles (of pot) were discovered co-mingled with boxes of aluminum foil" in a commercial truck, officials said.

The second seizure occurred at the Ysleta port when it turned out an empty flatbed being hauled by a semi-truck actually had a large quantity of marijuana within the floor of the flatbed, the CBP said.

“The cargo environment is challenging as the varying types of vehicles and commodities provide smugglers numerous places to hide contraband," said Hector Mancha, who runs the CBP's field operations in El Paso.

The agency credited its officers' sharp eyes along with the use of drug-detecting dogs and x-rays to find the hidden drugs in both cases.