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Jan. 3 (UPI) — U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents along the South Texas border seized 19% more cocaine in fiscal year 2022 than 2021, the agency reported Tuesday.
About $436 million worth of narcotics were taken at eight ports, including 10,234 pounds of cocaine and nearly 282 pounds of fentanyl. The total weight of narcotics seized was about 47,755 pounds.
“As nonessential traffic resumed early in Fiscal Year 2022, overall workload volumes returned to normal but CBP officers continued to experience the ongoing trend of hard narcotics, particularly cocaine and significant gains in encounters of individuals without valid entry documents,” said Eugene Crawford, acting director of field operations at the Laredo Field Office.
“The hard narcotics volume underscores the seriousness of the drug threat we face and hemispheric economic and security challenges also tend to drive the migration volumes.”
About 30,476 pounds of methamphetamine and 176 pounds of heroin were also captured.
The patrol captured 320 weapons and 78,487 rounds of ammunition as well as more than $5.8 million in unreported currency.
There was a 177% increase in non-U.S. citizens turned away by South Texas agents due to immigration law violations. In total, 57,732 people were deemed inadmissible.
The fiscal year began on Oct. 1, 2021 and ended on Sept. 30.
Outside of Texas, a large seizure of cocaine was reported on Tuesday in Puerto Rico. Agents seized 877 pounds of cocaine in a cargo container on the San Juan-Santo Domingo Ferry at the Pan American Dock.
The estimated street value of the cocaine is about $9.7 million.
“Our experienced CBP officers remain vigilant, utilizing their training and available tools to stop dangerous drugs from entering the country,” said Roberto Vaquero, director of field operation for Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
The shipment was discovered on Dec. 26. It was wrapped in 355 packages, hidden under a false floor.
