Cocaine busts galore at southern border, including from ‘trusted traveler’

(The Center Square) – Noteworthy roundups of cocaine were announced by United States Customs and Border Protection this week across three border states.

On Sunday, a seizure at the Port of San Luis in Arizona involved over 67 pounds of the illicit drug being taken away from a 59-year-old woman who was part of Secure Electronic Network for Travelers Rapid Inspection program for “trusted” United States citizens. The cocaine was estimated to be worth $722,518.

“The use of SENTRI is a privilege but participants are not exempt from inspection,” Chris Leon, Area Port Director for San Luis, said in a statement. “We will continue to utilize multiple layers of inspection not only to expedite travel but to also appropriately scrutinize these Trusted Traveler lanes.”

On Monday, $730,000 worth of cocaine, roughly 54 pounds, was seized at the Falcon Dam International Bridge in Roma, Texas.

Then on Wednesday, 38 pounds of cocaine worth over $516,000 was seized by federal border authorities in Del Rio, Texas.

“Our frontline officers continue to maintain strict vigilance and their attention to detail and dedication to the border security mission resulted in this significant seizure,” Port Director Liliana Flores, Del Rio Port of Entry, said in a statement. “The use of non-intrusive inspection technology coupled with officer experience contributed to this seizure.”

The week prior, 187 pounds of cocaine were seized at the California border, from a large bus, as well as 167 pounds worth $1.27 million at the Otay Mesa Commercial Facility in California.

According to CBP data, over 60,000 pounds of cocaine have been seized in fiscal year 2024 so far. In 2023, over 81,000 pounds were confiscated. By comparison to other drugs, marijuana and methamphetamine seizures are much higher. Fentanyl is behind cocaine in seizure numbers, with nearly 20,000 pounds seized so far this year.