ALABAMA - Criminals trying to smuggle drugs into the U.S. are always trying new and somewhat creative ways to evade Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents. Earlier this year, CBP agents intercepted 629 pounds of methamphetamine concealed within a shipment of celery.
No matter if its hidden in food shipments or elsewhere, agents working at ports of entry and airports continue to uncover drug smugglers using different methods.
Another such case took place last month at Houston's George Bush Intercontinental Airport, where CBP agents noticed unusually large cushions on a motorized wheelchair, according to Border Report. Their suspicions turned out to be right, as a drug-sniffing dog alerted officers to the presence of narcotics inside.
The motorized wheelchair also had a metal compartment that did not appear to be factory-made and were inconsistent with the seat frame. After agents investigated, they found 11 cocaine packages that weighed just under 27 pounds hidden in the backrest and seat.
CBP Acting Area Port Director Kayla Gonzalez praised the agency's efforts for "protecting the border and keeping Americans safe."
"Cocaine is a deadly, dangerous drug and the trafficking of these poisons leads to increased violence, money laundering, and other criminal activity that threatens our safety and local communities," she said.
It has been a busy year for CBP officers and U.S. Department of Homeland Security agents in terms of drug seizures. So far this year, authorities have seen the single-largest haul of drugs ever seized at a U.S. port of entry when they confiscated over six tons of methamphetamine back in February. And just last month, CBP performed the largest fentanyl seizure in agency history, intercepting close to 4 million blue fentanyl pills.
The largest haul of cocaine seized this year took place at the Rio Grande City Port of Entry back in August, when officers found 228 pounds of cocaine worth over $3 million hidden inside a commercial tractor-trailer.
After securing the cocaine packages, CBP said the Drug Enforcement Administration and other law enforcement in the United States have seen an increase of seizures and overdose cases involving cocaine mixed with fentanyl. As Fiscal Year 2024 came to an end on Oct. 1, CBP had seized just over 60 kilograms of cocaine at and between ports of entry.
Recently released data from CBP showed a 27% decrease in fentanyl seizures from FY2023 to FY2024. The majority of the 44 pounds of fentanyl seized last fiscal year was at ports of entry.
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