Federal authorities announced Monday that a two-week enforcement push along the Texas border, centered in Laredo, resulted in 89 arrests, more than 1,600 pounds of drugs seized, 15 firearms recovered, and over $360,000 in cash confiscated since mid-October.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) detailed the results of Operation Southern Surge during a press conference held at the Juarez-Lincoln International Bridge in Laredo. The operation, described as a coordinated Homeland Security Task Force effort, also led to the seizure of more than 3,000 rounds of ammunition since October 19.
Representatives from CBP, ICE Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas attended the briefing. CBP’s Laredo Field Office was the second-busiest region in the country for narcotics seizures in fiscal year 2026, trailing only San Diego, according to Breitbart Texas.
The single largest seizure during the operation happened at the Hidalgo Port of Entry, where a CBP canine alerted officers to a shipment of leeks. A closer inspection turned up 909 cylindrical packages hidden among the produce. The packages tested positive for methamphetamine and weighed a combined 1,082.47 pounds, with an estimated street value of $984,063, CBP said.
In Laredo itself, officers at the Juarez-Lincoln Bridge referred a vehicle for secondary inspection. Nonintrusive inspection technology flagged an anomaly, leading officers to find 49.3 pounds of cocaine concealed in 20 packages inside the vehicle.
Officials Point to Broader Enforcement Strategy
Laredo Field Office Director Jennifer De La O said the operation “leverages tactical intelligence and coordinated enforcement actions to dismantle the trafficking infrastructure, intercept illicit supply chains, and bolster situational awareness across the southwest border.”
“International drug trafficking presents a direct threat to U.S. national security, public safety, and economic stability, and our partnerships are a force multiplier in detecting these crimes and protecting the public,” De La O said.
HSI Laredo Acting Deputy Special Agent in Charge Charles Kerby said the work goes beyond individual seizures.
“Securing the border requires more than making seizures or stopping a single smuggling attempt. HSI’s role is to follow the evidence, identify the people behind these crimes, and dismantle the organizations moving drugs, weapons, money, and people across the border,” Kerby said.
Kerby added that HSI is working closely with CBP, DEA, the FBI, and other law enforcement partners through the Homeland Security Task Force “to hold these criminal networks accountable and protect communities across the country.”
CBP describes the Homeland Security Task Force as a whole-of-government partnership that coordinates efforts to identify, investigate, and prosecute cartels, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and drug trafficking networks operating in the United States and abroad. The task force also prioritizes combating child trafficking and removing violent criminal aliens from the country, according to CBP.
