Texas Border Agents Seize $30 Million in Meth Hidden in Salt Shipment
$30 Million in Meth Found in Trailer Load of Salt at Texas Port of Entry
U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers seized more than 3,300 pounds of alleged methamphetamine from a commercial tractor-trailer at the Laredo Port of Entry in Texas, according to the agency.
The seizure took place Oct. 12 at the World Trade Bridge, where a CBP officer referred a 2020 International LT625 tractor and its trailer for an enforcement inspection. The trailer had been manifested as carrying salt.
During a secondary inspection that included a nonintrusive inspection system, officers discovered 76 bags containing 3,395.91 pounds of alleged methamphetamine, CBP said. The agency placed the narcotics’ estimated street value at $30,355,444.
CBP seized the drugs. The agency said the driver, tractor and trailer were released after the inspection. Homeland Security Investigations special agents are investigating the seizure.
How the inspection unfolded
Commercial trucks entering the United States through ports of entry can be referred for additional screening by CBP officers. In this case, the tractor-trailer was directed to a secondary inspection after arriving at the World Trade Bridge.
CBP then used a nonintrusive inspection system, which allows officers to examine cargo and vehicle compartments without immediately unloading or dismantling the shipment. The scan was followed by a closer inspection that led officers to the bags containing the alleged narcotics.
The discovery highlights the importance of accurate cargo documentation and the inspection procedures commercial drivers encounter at international crossings. A shipment that appears routine on its manifest can still be selected for additional examination based on information available to inspectors or findings made during the initial screening.
For drivers operating across the border, secondary inspections can affect schedules, delivery appointments and hours-of-service planning. The inspection itself, however, is handled by CBP, and the details of why a particular vehicle is referred are not always made public.
Investigation remains open
CBP has not publicly identified the driver, the carrier or the shipment’s origin and destination in the information provided. The agency also has not announced arrests or criminal charges connected with the seizure.
Because Homeland Security Investigations is handling the case, additional details could emerge as investigators determine how the narcotics were loaded, who was responsible for them and where they were intended to go. At this stage, the drugs are described as alleged methamphetamine, reflecting that the investigation is ongoing.
CBP and HSI officials discussed the seizure during a press conference at the World Trade Bridge on Oct. 15. Senior officials also addressed the agencies’ end-of-year enforcement results at the event.
A larger enforcement picture in Laredo
The seizure is part of a broader pattern of significant drug interceptions in the Laredo field area. CBP’s Laredo Field Office oversees eight ports of entry stretching from Brownsville to Del Rio.
According to figures cited in the provided reports, seizures of cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine and fentanyl in the Laredo Field Office region increased 62% compared with the previous fiscal year. During fiscal 2025, officers seized more than 71,700 pounds of narcotics with a combined estimated street value of nearly $674 million. Methamphetamine accounted for the largest portion, with 54,994 pounds seized.
The Laredo port has also reported other large methamphetamine seizures this year. In February, CBP officers found 662.95 pounds of alleged methamphetamine in a commercial truck hauling powder coating. That load was valued by the agency at nearly $5.9 million.
While drug seizures draw attention to the enforcement risks surrounding cross-border freight, most commercial drivers move legitimate cargo through the ports every day. The Laredo seizure shows how inspections involving ordinary freight, including bulk commodities such as salt, can lead to major disruptions for a driver and carrier while investigators work to determine who placed the contraband in the shipment.
