Border Patrol Makes Major Drug Seizures, Halts Human Smuggling in 24-Hour Period

The U.S. Border Patrol seizes substantial quantities of drugs—251 pounds of cocaine, 154 pounds of marijuana, 60 pounds of meth, 20 firearms—in 24 hours. Human smuggling attempts also thwarted, raising concerns amid border criticism.

A border patrol boat navigates through the Grand River in Eagle Pass, Texas, as seen from Piedras Negras, Coahuila state, Mexico, on Aug. 4, 2023. Guillermo Arias/AFP via Getty Images

Border patrol agents intercepted 251 pounds of cocaine, 154 pounds of marijuana, 60 pounds of methamphetamines, and 20 firearms in one 24-hour period between Aug. 16 and Aug. 17.

United States Border Protection Chief Jason Owens posted about his agency’s progress on X, formerly Twitter, saying the seizures were “all in a day’s work for the men and women in green keeping you safe.”

News of increased drug trafficking through the southern border comes as President Joe Biden faces growing criticism for his administration’s failure to enforce the border between the United States and Mexico.

Mr. Owens also posted about the day before, saying that agents in El Paso and Tucson arrested two sex offenders convicted of felony rape attempting to enter the country.

In El Paso, “Agents arrested a Guatemalan national wanted for ‘rape & rebellion,’” Mr. Owens’s post said. “In [Tucson], agents arrested a Mexican national convicted of 1st-degree felony rape. Both will be prosecuted.”

On the same day as Mr. Owens’s post, Aug. 17, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) sent out a press release announcing that CBP officers intercepted three attempts at human smuggling within 24 hours at the Del Rio port of entry on Aug. 12 and Aug. 13.

“These three events serve as a resounding reminder that our vigilance and determination are crucial in safeguarding our nation’s borders. They are a testament to our unwavering commitment to our border security mission,” said Del Rio port of entry director Liliana Flores, according to the press release.

The agency outlined the interactions that led to the apprehensions, saying that in one instance, a male United States citizen arriving from Mexico presented the birth certificate of an 11-year-old minor male.

Agents later discovered the child was a Mexican citizen with no valid documents to enter the United States.

In another instance, a vehicle driven by a female United States citizen arriving from Mexico presented a U.S. birth certificate for a 5-year-old female passenger.