Customs and Border Protection officers seized cocaine worth at over $1.1 million during a single day in Texas.
The seizures occurred on Friday, June 26th, at Roma International Bridge and Gateway International Bridge within 24 hours of vehicles crossing the southern border.
Given their location across the Rio Grande River from Mexico, the Roma and Gateway bridges in Brownsville are attractive destinations for smugglers attempting to transport drugs into the United States. Narcotics are frequently disguised inside commercial shipments such as soft drinks, cinder blocks, and even cucumbers.
The seizure in Roma occurred when a 2025 Chevrolet Tahoe failed a canine exam. CBP officers seized 60.49 pounds of cocaine with a market value of $807,723.
The Brownsville seizure stemmed from a secondary check of a 2026 Toyota Sequoia. Officers found 22.84 pounds of cocaine with a street value of $304,956.
The drugs and automobiles were seized. Homeland Security Investigations special agents apprehended the drivers and launched criminal investigations in both incidents.
“These seizures, which occurred simultaneously at various Laredo Field Office ports of entry, clearly demonstrate the ongoing drug threat that our officers face on a daily basis,” said Laredo’s acting Director of Field Operations, Paul Del Rincon, in a statement.
Texas’ border with Mexico makes it a favored entry site for drugs. Every year, millions of dollars’ worth of narcotics are captured along the southern border. President Trump has launched an aggressive enforcement effort against drug gangs in order to halt shipments into the United States.
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin told legislators in late June that Mexican cartels continue to pose a significant danger to national security.
He warned that “plazas,” or cartel-controlled districts where criminal groups profit from illegal activities like as drug trafficking, still exist along the border.
“There’s not one inch of Mexico’s northern border that isn’t covered by a plaza,” Mullin stated. However, he highlighted that Trump’s border wall benefits CBP officers by creating “choke points” for them to work with.
The Department of Homeland Security revealed in May 2026 that there are a record number of drug seizures at the midway point of the year.
Seizures of cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin, fentanyl, and marijuana (combined weight) climbed 32% nationwide in May compared to May 2024. And CBP captured 56% more drugs this fiscal year through May than it did in the same period in FY 2024.
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