CBP El Paso Sector Reports Fiscal Year Data: Several Drug Seizure Categories More Than Double
EL PASO, Texas — Three U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) leaders in the El Paso sector held a news conference on October 23 at the Bridge of the Americas office to announce fiscal year 2026 drug seizure and border enforcement figures. CBP El Paso Port Director Ray Provencio said marijuana seizures in the sector rose by more than 230 percent from the prior fiscal year, fentanyl by more than 119 percent, cocaine by over 50 percent and methamphetamine by more than 9 percent, with some categories doubling or nearly tripling; in September alone, officers seized more than 875 pounds of cocaine and methamphetamine off the streets.
Border Patrol El Paso Sector Chief Jesse Muñoz said stricter immigration enforcement has brought average daily encounters down from 2,700 in fiscal year 2023 to fewer than 50 today, with fewer than 20,000 apprehensions in fiscal year 2026 compared with more than 420,000 in 2023, and almost 100 agents back on patrol duty. He warned that cartels are increasingly using drones to smuggle drugs and monitor agents, even putting explosives on drones to attack rivals, calling drones the biggest current threat.
The El Paso sector covers El Paso and Hudspeth counties in Texas and all of New Mexico. CBP Air and Marine Operations El Paso Director Efren Gonzalez also took part in the announcement.
Source: GSM·America
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：埃尔帕索“美洲大桥”口岸。图片来源：美国海关与边境保护局，公有领域，经 Wikimedia Commons。 / Photo: the Bridge of the Americas port of entry in El Paso. Source: U.S. Customs and Border Protection, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
