EL PASO, Texas – U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials announced Tuesday that officers working at the Ysleta port of entry in El Paso seized approximately 158 pounds of liquid methamphetamine Friday evening disguised as bottled water.
According to a press release by the agency, the seizure was made just after 7:00 p.m. when an 18-year-old U.S. male arrived as a pedestrian from Mexico.
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These might look like ordinary water bottles, but @CBP agriculture specialists discovered they were filled with liquid meth. In all, 120 bottles contained 155lbs of the dangerous drug.
— CBP Mark Morgan (@CBPMarkMorgan) August 18, 2020
Great stop by CBP ag specialists in El Paso, TX! pic.twitter.com/O8huMCmIA5
“The teenager declared three cases of bottled water,” the agency’s press release stated. “CBP officers selected the man for a secondary exam.”
The agency reported that a drug-sniffing dog alerted officers to the presence of narcotics. CBP officials said an X-ray scan of the bottled water, conducted by a CBP agriculture specialist, revealed dense liquid in the water bottles.
“The liquid tested positive for methamphetamine,” CBP said in a press release.
The 18-year-old was arrested and turned over to Homeland Security Investigations and faces charges related to the failed smuggling attempt.
Related: CBP officers seize 201 pounds of pork hidden in truck’s engine at Laredo Port of Entry