Carlos Rodriguez

Sept. 4 (UPI) — A pair of drug seizures by Customs and Border Protection agents along the Texas-Mexico border has netted methamphetamine shipments with an estimated street value of $50 million, the agency announced on Thursday.

In the first and larger of the two, agents stopped a truck hauling aluminum burrs that was concealing $37 million worth of the drug through the Colombia-Solidarity cargo facility in Laredo.

“Physical inspection led to the discovery of four sacks of alleged methamphetamine with a combined weight of 4,241 pounds concealed within the shipment,” a release from CBP said.

In the other seizure, agents seized 488 packages of what they believed was methamphetamine with a street value of $13.2 million in a commercial truck hauling a load of broccoli at the Pharr international cargo facility in Pharr, Texas.

Nearly 1,500 pounds of the drug was concealed in the roof of the truck, CBP said.

The seizures are the latest in a series of drug stops along the U.S.-Mexico border in Texas.

In June, agents seized a load of amphetamines valued at $6.7 billion being smuggled across the border at the Pharr crossing by someone in a stolen sports sedan.

“The cargo environment continues to be a top choice for trafficking organizations but our CBP officers, along with our tools and technology, are a force to be reckoned with,” Carlos Rodriguez, port director of the Pharr port said at the time.

June 15 (UPI) — U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents seized a shipment of amphetamines valued at $6.7 billion, intercepted a Canadian citizen attempting to drive a stolen, high dollar sports car into the country, and apprehended a murder suspect at two Texas border crossings within a matter of hours.

Officers at the Pharr International Bridge cargo facility in Texas discovered the methamphetamine concealed in a shipping manifesto and disguised as tomatillos.

“The cargo environment continues to be a top choice for trafficking organizations but our CBP officers along with our tools and technology are a force to be reckoned with,” said Carlos Rodriguez, port director of the Pharr port.

Officials seized the drugs and the vehicle they were being transported in.

At the same port of entry, officers encountered a 2023 Porsche Cayenne, valued at $55,000, driven by Dileen Raad Sadullah, 39, a Canadian citizen.

Border Patrol officers reported that Sadullah’s story became inconsistent when questioned by the agents at the initial inspection, which resulted in his being detained for a secondary questioning.

“During the secondary examination of the motor vehicle, officers discovered that the Porsche had been reported stolen in Canada earlier that day,” a release from CBP said.

CBP verified his identity and confirmed with Canadian officials that the vehicle was stolen, the U.S. equivalent of a felony.

Sadullah and the vehicle were detained by Canadian law enforcement. That incident also occurred at the Pharr port.

Agents apprehended Alan Alexis Ornelas, 31, of Desoto, Tex., at the Hidalgo International Bridge crossing and investigated him in connection with an arrest warrant, then detained him.

“Ornelas has been wanted since September, 2024 and is charged with capital murder by terror, a first-degree felony in the state of Texas,” a release from CBP said.

Ornelas was transported to the Hidalgo County jail where he awaits extradition to Dallas County.