Authorities in Texas have racked up some large drug busts this month and late last month at the cartels’ expense. Here’s a look at some of the largest:
METHAMPHETAMINE BUSTS:
In South Texas, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at the Pharr International Bridge took a closer look inside a semi-trailer full of produce that arrived at the US border from Reynosa, Mexico, on Saturday, May 16, 2026, and found that it was loaded with more than just heads of lettuce.
The shipment was used to hide 307 packages of methamphetamine weighing more than 1,644.64 pounds with a street value of almost $15 million.
A joint investigation by the Houston Police Department (HPD), Harris County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO), U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) paid off in a big way on May 7, 2026.
It led to HPD discovering 396 kilos of methamphetamine hidden beneath the floor of a semi-truck trailer and the arrest of an armed suspect. Another 73 kilos of methamphetamine and cash were also found at the suspect’s residence.
Seven days later, those same four local and federal agencies reported another significant methamphetamine bust in Houston, when the arrest of a wanted person also resulted in the seizure of 38 kilos of meth, 7 handguns, and 1 rifle.
The cartel drug dealer’s elaborate cowboy hat-wearing “Santa Muerte” shrine failed to protect him this time.
COCAINE BUSTS:
The cartels’ cocaine smuggling operations have also taken some big hits in Texas this month.
May 1, 2026, was a cartel cocaine smuggler’s unlucky day at the Hidalgo International Bridge when a CBP K9 took an interest in the minivan he was driving. When the dog’s handler and other CBP officers searched the 48-year-old Mexican citizen’s vehicle, they learned he was attempting to bring more than 20 kilos of cocaine with a street value of more than $600 thousand into the country.
The drugs and the car were seized. The driver was placed under arrest.
Another cartel cocaine smuggler had a bad day just up the road from the McAllen-Hidalgo, Texas, International Bridge (this time at the hands of the US Border Patrol), three weeks later.
Agents found almost 19 kilos of cocaine in his vehicle when it was inspected at the Falfurrias checkpoint.
MARIJUANA BUSTS:
The Mexican cartels still move large amounts of marijuana into the U.S. - as evidenced by some recent busts in the Lone Star State.
The largest recent marijuana bust happened late last month in Starr County, Texas. A state trooper assigned to the Texas “Operation Lone Star” border security mission soon found himself in a high-speed chase while attempting a traffic stop just north of the Rio Grande.
When the truck he was chasing wrecked out, it became clear why the driver (who was arrested) tried to flee. Officers found 40 bundles of marijuana in the pick-up truck’s bed. The pot weighed in at 460 pounds, with a street value of $115,000.
US Border Patrol Agents assigned to far West Texas took down another notable load of marijuana earlier this month - and once again it was the sensitive nose of a checkpoint K9 that did the smuggler in. The dog showed an interest not just in the smuggler’s vehicle, but in two tires in the car’s trunk.
Sure enough, when agents took a closer look at those tires, they found 44 pounds of marijuana (valued at over $35,000).
Are you surprised by the different methods cartel smugglers try to conceal their drug loads?
Share your thoughts in the comments to this story!
Abrazos,
Jack Beavers
