SANTA TERESA, N.M. (KRQE) – Over the last few days, major amounts of methamphetamine, cocaine, and fentanyl, totaling over $1.5 million were intercepted at the Santa Teresa port of entry into the United States. The drugs were found by U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers in two failed smuggling attempts.
During the first drug seizure, which occurred on Monday, July 31, a 36-year-old man was crossing the border in an SUV when he was “referred for a secondary inspection of the vehicle.” X-ray and canine screening revealed packages containing 27 pounds of cocaine and 5.5 pounds of fentanyl. The suspect has been turned over to Homeland Security Investigations to be prosecuted.
During the second interception, which occurred on Wednesday, August 2, a semi-truck was pulled for a secondary inspection. Within the trailer’s roof panels, 360 bundles containing 602 pounds of methamphetamine were uncovered. No arrests have been made in this drug seizure yet, but Border Protection says the case is under investigation.
“The Santa Teresa port is an important part of the overall effort to keep our communities drug-free,” says CBP Santa Teresa Port Director Michael Salvatti. “CBP officers at the Santa Teresa port of entry will exact the same level of scrutiny to all arriving traffic as exercised at a larger port like El Paso.”
