At least 291 pounds of cocaine, fentanyl, marijuana, and methamphetamine were seized at Customs and Border checkpoints during a single week, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials.
Narcotics were intercepted at multiple points of entry, starting with 18.56 pounds of powdered fentanyl and 63.8 pounds of methamphetamine at Ysleta on January 16th. This was followed by 29.18 pounds of cocaine at Paso Del Norte on January 18th.
January 20th saw two hauls of drugs, beginning with nine packets of cocaine totaling 23.36 pounds at Marcelino Serna. They were found hidden in a propane tank in a vehicle driven by a Mexican national. Back at Ysleta later the same day, 100.95 pounds of cannabis were found in the trunk of a car.
Finally, 55.55 pounds of methamphetamine were found at Columbus on January 23rd. Similarly to the cocaine found at Marcelino Serna, it was hidden in the tank of a car driven by a Mexican.
Drug deaths in the U.S. set a new record in 2022, coming in at around 110,000. In 2023, the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) seized enough fentanyl alone to kill every American citizen. Drug death estimates for the year are yet to be released.
Donald Trump believes the drug crisis is driven by the border crisis, which is “poisoning the blood” of the country.