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Truck carrying $30 million in liquid meth seized in El Paso

Record-breaking meth seizure triple the 425 pounds confiscated in El Paso-area ports in 2019.

Customs agents found 32 containers full of liquid methamphetamine hidden in a shipment of cleaning supplies from Mexico. Image: US Customs and Border Protection

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents working at the Ysleta port of entry in El Paso, Texas, seized 1,543 pounds of liquid methamphetamine Wednesday. 

CBP spokesman Roger Maier told FreightWaves the liquid methamphetamine “would have an estimated street value of $30 million.” 

The liquid methamphetamine was reportedly hidden in a shipment of cleaning supplies being imported from Mexico, according to CBP officials.

Hector Mancha, CBP El Paso director of field operations, said in a release, “This is a huge seizure and more than triples the 425 pounds of methamphetamine seized by CBP officers working El Paso-area ports for all of fiscal year 2019.” 


The seizure was made shortly after 7 p.m. Wednesday, when a tractor-trailer entered the Ysleta port of entry commercial cargo facility from Mexico. CBP officers selected the shipment for an inspection. 

CBP officers reportedly off-loaded the shipment of what was said to be multi-use cleaner and determined that 32 bottles in the shipment contained liquid methamphetamine.

The meth was seized and the investigation continues, according to the release. 


5 Comments

  1. Peter H

    Just legalize it. Supply and demand. Regulate it tax it and fund healthcare Or something. It’s a huge expense with little benefits because people always find a way to get messed up.

    1. Art

      Legalize all drugs and tax it like alcohol, cigs, marajuana.

      Usage by teens and students would drop since it would not longer be “cool and illegal”.

      But perhaps the cartels, mafia, and politicians have too much to lose?

Comments are closed.

Noi Mahoney

Noi Mahoney is a Texas-based journalist who covers cross-border trade, logistics and supply chains for FreightWaves. He graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a degree in English in 1998. Mahoney has more than 20 years experience as a journalist, working for newspapers in Maryland and Texas. Contact nmahoney@freightwaves.com