April 29, 2013
DEL RIO, Texas – U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at Del Rio seized five dozen toy balls filled with liquid methamphetamine Sunday after finding them in the trunk of a car arriving from Mexico.
CBP officers at the Del Rio Port of Entry inspected a 2010 Ford Mustang when it arrived from Mexico just before 6 a.m. Sunday. During the inspection process, CBP officers discovered several boxes of plastic toy balls in the trunk of the car. After a CBP canine alerted to the possible presence of contraband, a field test revealed that the balls contained liquid methamphetamine. Officers seized 60 liquid methamphetamine-filled balls weighing a total of 62.3 pounds, with an estimated value of more than $1.2 million.
Officers detained a passenger, a 41-year-old Snyder man, and turned him over to Homeland Security Investigations for federal prosecution.
“CBP officers are trained to detect all manner of illegal drugs,” said Michael Perez, CBP Port Director, Del Rio. “Their ability to recognize contraband in this unusual form kept yet another load of dangerous drugs from entering the country.”
The Office of Field Operations is the primary organization within U.S. Customs and Border Protection tasked with an anti-terrorism mission at our nation’s ports. CBP officers screen all people, vehicles and goods entering the United States, while facilitating the flow of legitimate trade and travel. Their mission also includes carrying out border-related duties, including narcotics interdiction, enforcing immigration and trade laws, and protecting the nation’s food supply and agriculture industry from pests and diseases.
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