Del Rio, Texas - Border Patrol agents assigned to the Eagle Pass South Station seized 27.56 pounds of methamphetamine and arrested a 31-year-old Mexican national at the U.S. Highway 57 immigration checkpoint.

“Drug smuggling organizations will frequently attempt to blend in with the traveling public to smuggle narcotics into the United States,” said Del Rio Sector Chief Patrol Agent Felix Chavez. “Thanks to the vigilance of our agents, these dangerous narcotic drugs will never make it into our communities.”

The seizure occurred after agents referred a vehicle to the secondary inspection area where a Border Patrol canine alerted to the presence of narcotics. During a closer inspection of the vehicle, agents discovered 23 packages of methamphetamine hidden in the gas tank. The narcotics have an estimated street value of more than $661,000.The driver and narcotics were turned over to the Drug Enforcement Administration.

The Del Rio Border Patrol Sector is part of the Joint Task Force-West South Texas Corridor, which leverages federal, state and local resources to combat transnational criminal organizations. To report suspicious activity call the Del Rio Sector’s toll free number at 1-866-511-8727.