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CBP officers seize more than $8.1 million in methamphetamine at Pharr International Bridge

PHARR, Texas — U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at the Pharr International Bridge cargo facility intercepted $8.1 million in suspected methamphetamine concealed in a shipment manifested as tile.

On April 21, CBP officers at the Pharr International Bridge cargo facility encountered a commercial tractor trailer traveling from Reynosa, Mexico. The vehicle was referred to secondary inspection dock for further inspection utilizing nonintrusive inspection equipment and screening by canine team.

Physical inspection of the tile pallets revealed packages of white powder which tested positive for the properties of methamphetamine. Officers extracted 200 packages with a combined weight of 908.30 lbs (412kg) of suspected methamphetamine concealed within the pallets of tile.

The narcotics have an estimated street value of $8,119,696. CBP officers seized the narcotics and tractor trailer, and Homeland Security Investigation special agents have initiated a criminal investigation into the seizure.

“As this significant seizure aptly illustrates, CBP officers work tirelessly to ensure that commerce flows and hard narcotics are stopped in their tracks,” said Port Director Carlos Rodriguez, Hidalgo/Pharr/Anzalduas Port of Entry.

Fulfilling President Donald J. Trump’s mandate, the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Customs and Border Protection, under the leadership of DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin, have delivered the most secure border in history, stopping dangerous criminal aliens and illicit narcotics from entering our communities, which will keep America safe for generations to come.

Follow the Director of CBP’s Laredo Field Office on X @DFOLaredo and Instagram @dfolaredo and Facebook @LaredoFieldOfficeOFODirectorDonaldR.Kusser as well as U.S. Customs and Border Protection at X @CBPSouthTexas for breaking news, current events, human interest stories and photos.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is America's frontline: the nation's largest law enforcement organization and the world's first unified border management agency. The 67,000+ men and women of CBP protect America on the ground, in the air, and on the seas. We enforce safe, lawful travel and trade and ensure our country's economic prosperity. We enhance the nation's security through innovation, intelligence, collaboration, and trust.

Grok Estimate

Rough estimate: At least 12,000–15,000+ pounds (≈5,400–7,000+ kg) of drugs seized at Pharr International Bridge since January 1, 2025 (through late April 2026), with the actual total likely higher (15,000–25,000+ pounds / 7,000–11,000+ kg) when including smaller/unpublicized seizures.

This is based on publicly reported U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) seizures at the Pharr cargo facility (part of the Hidalgo/Pharr/Anzalduas Port of Entry). CBP does not publish a single running total specifically for this bridge/port, but they regularly issue press releases for significant interdictions (mostly commercial truck shipments from Reynosa, Mexico). I aggregated the major ones from official CBP releases and news; these alone already account for the bulk of the weight.

Key major seizures (weights in pounds; mostly methamphetamine, some cocaine):

2025 examples (many large meth loads in commercial cargo):

  • April 2025: ~1,635 lbs methamphetamine.
  • July 2025 (papayas): ~2,572 lbs methamphetamine.
  • July 2025 (carrots): ~1,706 lbs methamphetamine.
  • September 2025 (broccoli): ~1,480 lbs methamphetamine.
  • November 2025 (lettuce): ~1,153 lbs methamphetamine.
  • Other November 2025: ~138 lbs methamphetamine.
  • September 2025 (limes): ~126 lbs cocaine.
  • Additional 2025 cocaine/meth loads (e.g., April cocaine seizure, roses shipment ~858 lbs meth) push the 2025 subtotal higher.

2026 examples (through April):

  • March 23: ~1,984 lbs methamphetamine (blackberries).
  • March 30: ~298 lbs methamphetamine (carrots).
  • April 21: ~908 lbs methamphetamine (tile).
  • April 15: ~83 lbs cocaine (empty trailer).
  • April 6: ~45 lbs cocaine (passenger vehicle).

Rough sum of just these publicized major seizures: ~11,000–12,000+ lbs methamphetamine + ~250–400+ lbs cocaine (plus any fentanyl/heroin/marijuana not highlighted here). Street values for individual busts often exceed $1M–$23M each, totaling well over $100 million for the big ones alone.

Why the estimate is higher than the publicized sum

  • Smaller seizures (e.g., passenger vehicles or minor cargo loads) are common but not always announced individually.
  • Pharr is a high-volume commercial crossing (hundreds of thousands of trucks yearly), and these large loads represent the bulk of seized weight.
  • For context: The broader Laredo Field Office (which includes Pharr + several other South Texas ports like Laredo) seized ~71,700+ lbs total narcotics in FY2025 (Oct 2024–Sep 2025), mostly meth (~55k lbs) and cocaine (~12k lbs). Pharr accounts for a large share of the publicized major commercial busts.

Caveats: This is an estimate—actual totals could be higher (or slightly lower if some seizures overlap categories). CBP focuses publicity on big hauls; full port-level stats aren't broken out publicly beyond the national dashboard (which aggregates by field office/sector). Fentanyl and heroin seizures occur but in much smaller quantities here compared to meth/cocaine. Data is current as of late April 2026.

If you want details on a specific seizure, drug type, or updates, let me know! Sources are primarily official CBP.gov releases.

Sources

Recent 2026 CBP Press Releases (Direct Links)

  • April 28, 2026 — $8.1M methamphetamine (908 lbs) in tile shipment: cbp.gov
  • April 20, 2026 — $1.1M cocaine (83 lbs) in empty trailer: cbp.gov
  • April 10, 2026 — $605K cocaine (45 lbs) in passenger vehicle: cbp.gov
  • April 2, 2026 — $2.6M methamphetamine (298 lbs) in carrots: cbp.gov
  • March 27, 2026 — $17M+ methamphetamine (1,984 lbs) in blackberries: cbp.gov

Key 2025 CBP Press Releases

  • July 9, 2025 — $23M+ methamphetamine (2,572 lbs) in papayas: cbp.gov
  • August 14, 2025 — $7.6M methamphetamine (858 lbs) in roses: cbp.gov
  • November 24, 2025 — $10M+ methamphetamine (1,153 lbs) in lettuce: cbp.gov
  • April 14, 2025 — $14M+ methamphetamine (1,635 lbs) in bell peppers/cucumbers: cbp.gov

Broader Context (Laredo Field Office Totals)

  • FY2025 (Oct 2024–Sep 2025) narcotics recap for the region including Pharr: ~71,700 lbs total, with strong meth/cocaine focus. Reports from Laredo Morning Times and Texas Border Business.

Additional coverage often appears on sites like TexasBorderBusiness.com, which aggregates many CBP releases (e.g., recent meth seizure example).