U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers discovered nearly $30.4 million in suspected methamphetamine inside a commercial salt shipment in Texas. The October 12 seizure occurred at Laredo’s World Trade Bridge along the U.S.-Mexico border. Officers recovered 3,395.91 pounds of suspected methamphetamine from a 2020 International LT625 tractor-trailer. Authorities subsequently released the driver and equipment while federal investigators continued examining the case.
Officers discovered 76 bags containing suspected methamphetamine inside a trailer manifested as salt. The agency referred the investigation to Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). Officials have not publicly established whether the driver or trucking company knew about the concealed drugs.
Commercial shipment leads to multimillion-dollar seizure
A CBP officer selected the commercial vehicle for additional examination during the crossing. Officers conducted a secondary inspection using nonintrusive imaging technology before uncovering the concealed narcotics.
Laredo is the nation’s busiest commercial land port, handling 2.95 million inbound truck crossings from Mexico in 2025, according to federal transportation data. In September, federal investigators uncovered more than 2,000 pounds of methamphetamine concealed inside a commercial cabbage shipment in South Texas.
Driver and tractor-trailer released
FreightWaves asked why authorities released the driver and equipment. Questions also included the carrier’s identity and country of registration, importer of record and shipment destination. CBP and HSI declined to provide those details, citing the ongoing investigation.
In a statement to FreightWaves, HSI outlined its ongoing investigation. “HSI continues to investigate the matter and pursue all available leads to identify those responsible for bringing this significant quantity of methamphetamine into the United States and prevent it from reaching communities across South Texas,” the agency stated. FreightWaves will update this article as new information becomes available.
Why it matters
Commercial freight shipments can conceal substantial quantities of narcotics, placing trucking companies and drivers within federal investigations. The driver’s reported release makes the circumstances surrounding this particular shipment especially relevant to transportation professionals.
Click here for more articles on cargo theft and freight fraud by Phil Brink.
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