In the news, it is common to come across stories of drug busts heading north into Texas from Mexico. However, there are rare instances where money is seized while heading south into Mexico from Texas. It is believed that this money is being sent back to the drug cartels. It is important to note that not all bundles that are discovered contain drugs, as some are found to be filled with cash.
Last week, authorities halted a truck at the Pharr International Bridge while it was trying to enter Tamaulipas, Mexico. Following a subsequent inspection, law enforcement discovered five bundles of cash amounting to $65,948 inside the vehicle.
On Monday, CBP officials revealed that carrying over $10,000 in declared currency across a U.S. port of entry is considered a federal offense.
Mexican cartels frequently depend on weapons and cash originating from the United States to finance and bolster their operations as they transport drugs and human cargo across the border. Carlos Rodriguez, the Port Director of Hidalgo/Pharr/Anzalduas, emphasized this fact in a press release.
“These types of bulk cash seizures, often proceeds from illegal activity, deny transnational criminal organizations the ability to profit from their illicit enterprises and exemplify CBP’s ongoing commitment to our priority border security mission”
Drug cartels have been discovered smuggling drugs in some rather unexpected places. One particularly crucial area for these cartels is the border between Texas and Mexico.
They go to great lengths to sneak in all kinds of drugs, ranging from crystal meth and heroin to marijuana and counterfeit pills. It seems there is no shortage of illegal substances making their way up from south of the border and into the United States via Mexico and Texas.
The more northward these drugs reach within the United States, the more profits the cartels make.