CBP continues careful watch on border crossings

NEWS AND OPINION:

Let’s pay a visit to the vigilant officers of U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Here’s what they’ve been up to in recent days.

“U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at the Port of Lukeville recently seized approximately 4 million blue fentanyl pills — weighing more than 1,000 pounds,” the agency said in a report released Thursday.

“This is the largest fentanyl seizure in CBP’s history, and reflects our unwavering determination to protect our nation and to disrupt the criminal activities of ruthless drug cartels,” said Troy Miller, the senior CBP official performing the duties of the commissioner.

“Every day, CBP officers and agents are on our front line, using their keen instincts and the latest technology to prevent deadly drugs from entering our country and poisoning our communities,” Mr. Miller said in a statement.

Here’s the agency’s description of some such cases:

“On July 1, a 20-year-old Arizona man, who is a U.S. citizen, arrived at the Port of Lukeville driving a 2011 pick-up truck which was hauling a sport recreational vehicle on a utility trailer. CBP officers performing the inspection for entry to the U.S. sent the driver and vehicles aside for a more intensive inspection,” the report said.

“While conducting a thorough inspection of the pick-up truck, trailer, and sport utility vehicle, CBP officers noticed anomalies throughout the frame of the trailer. With the assistance of a CBP canine team, officers discovered 234 packages of drugs concealed within the frame of a trailer,” it said.

“Officers at the same port of entry then seized about 270 pounds of methamphetamine several days later. The second seizure occurred on July 12, when a 45-year-old male Mexican citizen driving a 2007 Ford F1-50 pick-up truck towing a utility trailer attempted to make entry into the U.S. During an in-depth examination utilizing non-intrusive inspection (NII) and a CBP canine team, officers discovered 39 packages of methamphetamine totaling nearly 272 pounds and an additional five pounds of cocaine,” the agency said.

The agency reported that “the estimated street value for these two significant seizures is over $12.6 million.”

HELPFUL BARRIERS

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott is pleased with a decision from the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to allow the Lone Star State to maintain its floating marine barriers in the Rio Grande.

“The Fifth Circuit delivered a victory for Texas’ historic border security mission by ruling that our floating marine barriers can stay,” Mr. Abbott said in a statement released Thursday.

“Last year, Texas installed these barriers to deny dangerous and illegal river crossings, and almost immediately, the Biden-Harris Administration sued to remove them and obstruct our efforts to secure our border. We fought to keep these barriers in the water, and with the Fifth Circuit’s decision, that is exactly where they will remain. This fight is far from over. Texas will continue to defend our constitutional right to secure our southern border to keep our state and the nation safe,” the governor said.

ON THE RADAR

The popular “Fox & Friends” morning show on Fox News will pay a visit Wednesday to the Buffalo Chip Campgrounds in Sturgis, South Dakota, site of the 84th Sturgis Motorcycle Rally.

Co-host Lawrence Jones will be on the panel from a pop-up diner created by the Sons of Light Motorcycle Ministry from 4 a.m. to 7 a.m. Mountain time (6 to 9 a.m. Eastern time).

Meanwhile, former President Donald Trump will journey to Bozeman, Montana, on Aug. 9 for a rally.

Montanans, he said in a statement, “have spent $10,068 more on transportation, $5,191 more on energy, $3,626 more on food, and $6,051 more on shelter on average since January 2021. Buying a home is out of reach for many in Montana, as the median price to buy a home in the Treasure State has jumped 43%.”

“President Trump and J.D. Vance will fight to ease the financial pressures placed on households and re-establish law and order in America! We can Make America Great Again by tackling lawlessness head-on, ceasing the endless flow of illegal immigrants across our southern border, and reversing the detrimental effects of inflation by restoring people’s wealth,” the Trump election campaign said.

ALSO ON THE RADAR

In the meantime, former Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly will host a series of one-hour specials on SiriusXM’s Triumph Channel, starting Friday and running through August.

Titled “Get Closer With Megyn Kelly,” she will use her noon Friday slot to spotlight a different subject in each show — which range from “relationships and parenting to aging and having a healthy sex life,” SiriusXM said in a news release shared with Inside the Beltway.

The premiere episode will focus on marriage and feature a conversation with marriage counselor Gary Chapman.

WEEKEND REAL ESTATE

For sale: Resort-style home built in 1975 on 25 wooded acres near Frederick, Maryland. Six bedrooms, six baths with owner’s suite, great room with “breathtaking” views; 7.432 square feet. Large gourmet kitchen with informal eat-in area and custom cabinets; formal dining and living rooms with lofty ceiling, grand fireplace, wall-to-wall windows, screened porch. Lower level features kitchenette, family room with direct access to in-ground swimming pool with outdoor fireplace, fountain and games area, three-car garage. Priced at $1.9 million through Keller Williams, found at KW.com. Enter MDFR2046486 in the search function.

POLL DU JOUR

• 82% of U.S. adults have “no preference” whether a U.S. president is from the Northeast, Midwest, South or West.

• 81% of U.S. adults have no preference whether a president is from a big city, small city, suburb, small town or rural area.

• 71% have no preference whether a president is married or not.

• 71% have no preference whether a president is a pet owner or not.

• 70% have no preference whether a president is a parent or not.

• 64% have no preference whether a U.S. president is a man or a woman.

• 35% have no preference whether a president has previously served in elected office.

• 31% have no preference about the age of a president.

SOURCE: A YouGov poll of 2,266 U.S. adults conducted online July 25-29 and released Wednesday.

• Follow Jennifer Harper on X @HarperBulletin, on Facebook @HarperUniverse.