Texas Border: Cartel Cash Smuggled by Mexican Law Agency Employee?
$184,095 seized in Brownsville
There is an interesting wrinkle to the recent seizure of a large amount of suspected cartel cash at the Texas border. On May 2, 2025, US Customs & Border Protection (CBP) officers stopped a Mexican couple attempting to drive across the Brownsville and Matamoros International Bridge into Mexico for a random search.
The CBP Officers found bundles of US dollars (totaling $148,610) hidden inside the couple's car. The driver was found to be carrying another $5,485 in cash. Officers found the woman was carrying even more money: $30,000 - again, all cash.
In all, US Federal Agents seized $184,095.
The Brownsville Herald (via their website myrgv.com) cited criminal complaints stating that officers later arrested a Texas man suspected of giving the pair the cash to take across the border, and that one of the suspects admitted it was connected to a Mexican cartel.
Now, the Mexico City newspaper "El Universal" reports that the woman involved in the case is an employee of the Attorney General's Office of the Mexican State of Tamaulipas. The newspaper says the agency has begun the process of terminating her employment.
How large a problem is cartel corruption of government officials along the Mexican border?
Share your opinions in the comments to this article.
Abrazos,
Jack Beavers
Great work as always Jack. Thank you for bringing us the news at the border.
I bet the Mexican government is RIFE with cartel corruption. I bet if not participating directly, many if not most Mexican government officials are directly or indirectly affected by the cartels. We shall see…