1 of 2 | Border Patrol agents seized meth and fentanyl from a women’s rectum and vagina at a crossing between Juarez, Mexico, and El Paso Texas on Sunday. Image courtesy U.S. Customs and Border Protection
April 14 (UPI) — Federal border patrol agents seized fentanyl and methamphetamine in three packages hidden in the vagina and rectum of a 33-year woman.
On Sunday, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers working at the Del Norte International pedestrian crossing from Juarez, Mexico, to El Paso, Texas, seized the drugs from the U.S. citizen.
“This is an exceptionally dangerous practice, and anyone thinking about smuggling drugs inside their body-or at all-should strongly reconsider their choices,” CBP El Paso Port Director Ray Provencio said in a news release. “Not only are the legal consequences severe, but the results could be lethal if the packaging were to rupture inside their bodies.”
Just after midnight, a CBP canine team performed a sweep of pedestrians waiting in line to enter the U.S. The canine noticed the presence of narcotics when passing a female border crosser.
They searched the woman for a secondary exam.
A Texas Department of Public Safety officer obtained a search warrant authorizing a medical exam. She was taken to an area medical center where a CT scan confirmed the presence of foreign objects concealed internally.
The woman then removed the bundles.
One package contained a crystal substance and tested positive for methamphetamine with a total weight of 0.02786 kilograms, which is just less than an ounce. A second bundle that contained blue pills tested positive for fentanyl with a total weight of 0.05212 kilograms, or nearly 2 ounces. A third package, which contained a powder, tested positive for fentanyl with a total weight of 0.03732 kilograms, or 1.3 ounces.
The woman was turned over to Texas DPS for prosecution.
CBP officers working at the PDN and Ysleta crossings stopped nine internal carriers transporting fentanyl and meth from Mexico to the United States.
About 450 miles northwest on Friday, officers at the Pharr International Bridge cargo facility intercepted $14,620,900 worth of alleged methamphetamine concealed within a shipment manifested as fresh bell pepper and cucumbers. The bridge is near the Gulf.
They encountered a tractor-trailer entering from Mexico. After using nonintrusive inspection equipment and a canine team, officers extracted 300 packages of meth weighing 741.88 kg, or 1,635.56 pounds.
Officers seized the narcotics and vehicle.
“Our CBP officers continue to use all tools and resources to safeguard our borders by preventing these harmful narcotics from reaching America’s streets,” Port Director Carlos Rodriguez at Hidalgo/Pharr/Anzalduas Port of Entry, said.