LAREDO, Texas — U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers at the Laredo Port of Entry seized methamphetamine valued at more than $30 million hidden in a commercial salt shipment, the agency said in a statement reported by The Trucker, CDLLife and Texas Border Business.

The seizure occurred on Oct. 12 at the World Trade Bridge, when a CBP officer referred a 2020 International LT625 tractor hauling a trailer manifested as salt for an enforcement inspection, CBP said. Following a secondary inspection and a nonintrusive inspection system examination, officers discovered 76 bags containing 3,395.91 pounds of alleged methamphetamine within the commodity — yaani about 1.54 tonnes of alleged drugs.

The narcotics have a street value of $30,355,444 — yaani about $30.4 million — CBP said. "The steadfast dedication of our workforce remains the cornerstone of our border security strategy," said Port Director Alberto Flores in the CBP statement. "This successful enforcement action underscores our resolve to protect our communities from dangerous contraband."

CBP seized the narcotics. The driver, tractor and trailer were released, the agency said. Homeland Security Investigations special agents are investigating the seizure. FreightWaves reported that officials have not publicly established whether the driver or the trucking company knew about the concealed drugs, and no charge against the driver was announced in the CBP statement.

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 cited by FreightWaves. For Punjabi and other truckers who cross at Laredo, the case is a reminder that a sealed or third-party load can still trigger a full secondary inspection — and that the investigation, not the roadside stop, decides who is held responsible. Sources: U.S. Customs and Border Protection; The Trucker; CDLLife; FreightWaves; Texas Border Business.