Border agents managed to detect a million-dollar shipment of marijuana that was intended to be trafficked to the United States through the border between Tamaulipas and Texas.
Alberto Flores, director of the Laredo port of entry, reported that on November 15, 359.79 pounds (163.19 kilos) of a green, dry herb with the characteristics of marijuana were confiscated.
The drug was hidden inside a 2023 Chevrolet S10 Max vehicle, which was transporting a commercial shipment of seat cushions; however, upon a second, more detailed inspection, it was found that they were stuffed with packages of marijuana.
The drug was intended to enter the United States through the World Trade Bridge that connects the cities of Laredo and Nuevo Laredo, according to the Customs and Border Protection Office (CBP) in a statement.
Regarding the value of the confiscated cargo, Alberto Flores estimated that the economic blow to the Mexican drug trade is equivalent to 804 thousand 902, equivalent to 16 million 319 thousand 227 pesos at the current exchange rate.
Mega marijuana seizure in Tamaulipas
One of the largest seizures of marijuana so far in 2024 also occurred on the border between Texas and Tamaulipas. On June 23, the CBP stopped a shipment valued at 5 million 198 thousand 328 dollars.
The US authorities reported that the drug was discovered when a 33-year-old Mexican man, who was transporting a commercial shipment, requested permission to enter Texas through the World Trade Bridge.
Upon reviewing the contents of the cargo, they noticed the presence of 98 packages that together contained 2,323.67 pounds (1,053.9 kilos).
In Mexican pesos, the drug would have a value on the illegal market of up to 105 million 402 thousand 137 pesos, said the border security officials.
It is worth remembering that the Laredo region – the small border of Tamaulipas – is considered one of the jewels for Mexican drug trafficking due to its proximity and connection with Texas; which is why it is an area in dispute between criminal groups that were allies in the past, including the Gulf Cartel, the Northeast Cartel and the Old School Zetas Cartel; while other organizations such as the Sinaloa Cartel and the Jalisco Nueva Generación Cartel (CJNG) seek criminal alliances to establish themselves in the region.
Source: infobae
