TEXAS BORDER — Mexican drug cartels have suffered significant financial and operational setbacks this June, with U.S. authorities seizing over $1.7 million in cartel cash and more than $15 million worth of methamphetamine and cocaine during a series of targeted border operations.
The latest enforcement actions underscore the ongoing efforts by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) to dismantle the smuggling networks feeding America’s narcotics market.
Cartel Cash Confiscated
The largest seizure of cartel cash took place at the Anzalduas Port of Entry in Mission, Texas, where federal agents confiscated $900,000 in an undisclosed operation. Details remain limited due to the sensitive nature of the investigation.
Another significant cash bust followed on June 16, when CBP agents at the Anzalduas International Bridge stopped a 2025 Honda Odyssey and discovered 56 bundles totaling $815,745 hidden inside the vehicle. Both the U.S. citizen driver and a passenger were taken into custody.
Major Drug Intercepts
Throughout June, border officers intercepted several major drug shipments, including:
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June 10 – Pharr International Bridge: Authorities uncovered 753 pounds of methamphetamine concealed within a shipment of Mexican produce. The drugs had a street value of $6.7 million.
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June 3 – Colombia-Solidarity Bridge, Laredo: A supposedly empty trailer was found to contain 363 pounds of cocaine, worth approximately $4.85 million.
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June 9 – Pharr Port of Entry: A tractor-trailer driven by a Mexican national was found to have a false compartment hiding more than 390 bundles of methamphetamine, valued at over $2.4 million.
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June 14 – Juarez-Lincoln Bridge, Laredo: CBP agents seized 112 pounds of methamphetamine concealed inside a 2013 Mitsubishi Outlander driven by a Mexican citizen. The estimated value was $1.04 million.
Federal Crackdowns Expand
In addition to border seizures, U.S. authorities have ramped up inland crackdowns targeting the cartels’ financial and logistical infrastructure.
On June 18, nearly two dozen individuals were charged in a major drug and money-laundering operation stretching across Houston, Galveston, and the Rio Grande Valley. Confiscated assets included over 2,000 kilograms of methamphetamine, 170 kilograms of cocaine and heroin, more than 100 firearms, $3 million in cash, and multiple real estate properties.
In a separate case, Jaime “Hummer” Gonzalez-Duran, a former commander of the Los Zetas cartel, was sentenced to 35 years in federal prison on charges of smuggling large quantities of cocaine and marijuana into the United States. He was also ordered to forfeit $792 million, underscoring the scale of the operation he once commanded.
The Broader Fight
These developments reveal the ongoing high-stakes battle between U.S. law enforcement and sophisticated criminal enterprises operating across the southern border.
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Disrupting finances: Cash seizures are a crucial blow to cartel revenue streams, preventing reinvestment in trafficking operations, bribery, and violent enforcement.
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Hitting logistics: The detection of hidden compartments and falsified cargo entries shows the level of ingenuity cartels use—matched by increasingly advanced surveillance and inspection tools used by CBP.
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Targeting leadership: Beyond street-level arrests, authorities are now focusing more intently on prosecuting top-tier operatives and dismantling cartel command structures.
Policy Questions Remain
These operations have renewed discussion among policymakers and the public about whether current penalties for drug smuggling and money laundering are sufficient deterrents.
Some officials advocate for harsher sentencing and expanded forfeiture powers, while others argue that enforcement must also address systemic demand, corruption, and the vulnerabilities within immigration and trade systems.
For now, U.S. authorities say their layered approach is working. June’s string of seizures, arrests, and indictments represents a coordinated offensive designed to inflict maximum disruption on cartel operations—both at the border and beyond.
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