EL PASO, Texas – U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers working at the Ysleta port of entry in El Paso seized 15 pounds of methamphetamine Sunday morning.

The large seizure was made just after 8:00 a.m. when an 18-year-old U.S. male driving a 2008 Cadillac Catera arrived from Mexico. CBP officers selected the vehicle for an inspection.

A CBP drug sniffing dog searched the car and alerted to the presence of narcotics. A Z-portal scan of the vehicle also showed anomalies in the appearance of the dashboard area.

Ysleta drug load.

CBP continued their inspection and located 13 bundles in the dashboard. The contents of the packages tested positive for methamphetamine.

CBP officers arrested the driver. He was turned over to Homeland Security Investigations agents to face charges associated with the failed smuggling attempt.

“CBP officers remain vigilant and focused on all threats in an effort to protect our community and nation from dangerous items,” said CBP El Paso Director of Field Operation Hector Mancha.

While homeland security is CBP’s primary mission the inspection process continues to yield violations in a wide number of categories.