Recent large drug seizures at the El Paso-Juarez border, including drugs heading north and cash heading south, included the interception of a semi-truck transporting a large amount of marijuana.
The Mexican Defense Ministry said in a press statement that on January 28, Mexican troops intercepted a large amount of drugs in a trailer at the Samarayuca military checkpoint on the highway south of Juárez.
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The military found a ton of marijuana, 30 kilograms (66 pounds) of methamphetamine, 10 kilograms (22 pounds) of opium gum and a firearm in a trailer, Chihuahua state Public Security Secretary Gilberto Loya said at his weekly press conference on Monday, February 2.
The driver of the truck, Javier LJ, 54, has been arrested, Loya said. He attributed the capture to the cooperation of the Mexican National Guard and Army with state police.
On January 28, 2026, Mexican National Guard soldiers stopped a trailer carrying a ton of marijuana, 30 kilograms (66 pounds) of methamphetamine, and 10 kilograms (22 pounds) of opium gum at a military checkpoint on the Samarayuca Highway, south of Juárez.
Cocaine and cash seized at El Paso border
U.S. Customs and Border Protection recently made multiple seizures of cocaine and cash during inspections of vehicles arriving and bound for Mexico at the El Paso Zaragoza Bridge-Isleta Port of Entry.
Items seized include:
∎ January 24: A drug-sniffing dog helped CBP officers discover more than 25 kilograms (56 pounds) of cocaine inside a white Honda Civic driven by a Mexican citizen traveling to the United States.
In January 2026, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers discovered several cocaine packages marked “Pari” in a vehicle at the Isleta Port of Entry on the Zaragoza Bridge in El Paso, Texas.
∎ January 22: A U.S. citizen arriving from Mexico was arrested after more than 15 kilograms (35 pounds) of cocaine was found in the trunk compartment of a blue Chevrolet Sonic.
∎ January 22: CBP officers along with the Anti-Terrorism Contraband Enforcement Team and the Mobile Enforcement Team stopped a Dodge Ram heading toward Mexico while inspecting southbound traffic. CBP seized $40,320 in undeclared cash from the jacket of the driver of the pickup truck, a U.S. citizen.
∎ January 21: While inspecting traffic bound for Mexico, a dog trained to smell cash and firearms alerted CBP officers to a white Nissan Pathfinder driven by a U.S. citizen. CBP seizes $38,371 in suspected misdeclared currency
Border drug smuggling: CBP seizes 263 kilograms of methamphetamine, cocaine, marijuana, fentanyl at El Paso border
Travelers can bring any amount of cash across the border. However, if the amount exceeds $10,000, it must be reported to CBP. Undeclared funds may be confiscated, and those who fail to declare currency may be arrested.
Daniel Borunda can be reached at dborunda@elpasotimes.com and @BorundaDaniel on X.
This article originally appeared in the El Paso Times: Border drug bust: Marijuana, cocaine seized in El Paso, Juarez