- Hey. - How you doing, sir?
Proof of citizenship.
You guys go golfing?
Well, if he was here, I'd ask for his, too.
Anything you want to declare?
OK.
Every day, around 250 people are arrested in Texas
for drunk driving.
Hey, you guys are good to go. You have a great day.
Funny guy. We got a lot of those, man.
And the more alcohol they drink, the smarter they get.
During major holidays and national celebrations,
that number can significantly increase.
Today is Super Bowl Sunday, right?
So what's gonna happen?
A lot of get-togethers,
a lot of friends getting together.
Yeah, a lot of the guys that like to party hardy.
But drunk driving in Texas
could cost you your freedom, your license,
and leave you with a criminal record.
Looks like there's a line growing.
Secondary, there's a car stalled in the middle
of the bridge.
At mid-bridge, a stationary car is blocking
traffic moving north into the US.
Y'all know what happened up there?
They're knocked out?
He was out cold?
Ma'am, step out.
It could be that he drank too much.
Who knows, but we'll find out right now.
K-9, secondary.
We found something.
- Mike, Mike. - Go ahead.
Powder.
Are we gonna be put in jail?
We have to do what we have to do.
There was a car parked, and he wouldn't move,
and they passed right by him.
They noticed that he was actually out-- out cold.
Right now, the officers are over there going with him,
talking to him, see what's going on.
The driver claims he is simply tired after a long work week.
But the smell of alcohol on his breath suggests that
his fatigue has nothing to do with his workload.
If we do see that they have alcoholic odor or if they are
not able to drive right, we'll get them out of
the vehicle and escort them down, and the supervisor will
be driving down the vehicle
to prevent a car accident or anybody getting hurt.
In Texas, the legal limit
is.08% blood alcohol concentration,
roughly three small beers.
How are you feeling, sir?
Feeling OK?
They told me you had a long work week.
Yeah?
I can relate, man.
And then you had a couple of drinks over here?
The driver finally admits to drinking.
If he's found to be over the limit,
he'll be handed to local police
and could be charged with a DWI.
Nothing wrong with having a few drinks, but when you get
behind the wheel, it's definitely a big issue.
How long were you in Mexico?
Eight days? What do you do in Lubbock?
Oh, that's why you get eight days off.
Yeah.
Of the hundreds of pests and diseases monitored by CBP,
59 are classified as critical threats with the potential to
devastate US agriculture.
And contaminated meat is one of the primary pathways
they can enter the country.
Inspection in secondary.
Come over here, sir.
It's 10 PM at the Camino Real Bridge,
and a Mexican driver has been
referred to secondary inspection.
Despite a trunkload of coolers,
he has failed to declare any goods at primary.
The man has driven 11 hours from San Luis Potosi,
a region known for its ranching culture and meat-heavy cuisine.
Yeah, leave it there.
Goat, roasted or grilled with spices,
is a regional Mexican delicacy.
But most raw meat is prohibited from entering the US
due to the risk of diseases like foot and mouth.
Yeah, this is not good.
Luckily, the driver's last-minute declaration means
the goat will be seized without a penalty.
We'll check on the other stuff as well.
But if officers uncover anything else prohibited,
he risks a hefty fine and refused entry to the US.
You already find something?
Got a lot of cheese.
Did you check the... behind you, right here?
- Not yet. - I'll do that.
Hm.
Hmm.
A lot of tacos shrink-wrapped.
The driver hints that the tacos may contain chorizo,
a seasoned pork sausage.
Pork from Mexico is at risk of swine fever contamination,
meaning all pork products are banned from entering the US
unless from approved commercial farms.
If the tacos are found to contain chorizo,
the driver faces a $1,000 fine
and risks losing his entire load.
Cool, cool, cool.
Every year, US Customs and Border Protection
recruits around 3,000 new officers and agents
to protect the nation's borders.
For Officer Dang, that mission starts today
at the Colombia Solidarity Bridge.
I've been with the agency for about three months now.
After going through a lot of training, it's my first day
officially being an officer.
OK, I feel pretty fine here.
Before I came into this,
I didn't know where I was gonna go.
I worked in restaurants as a bartender.
My family owns a restaurant, so it was an opportunity to
just protect our country. Yeah.
Today being my first day, it's pretty amazing.
Can't wait to see what the job holds in store.
Working primary...
...Officer Dang's second vehicle of the day
is a lone driver arriving from Northeast Mexico.
OK.
The trunk looks empty, but sensing the driver's unease...
...Officer Dang's training kicks in,
and he sends the vehicle for a closer examination.
Typically, people do come from Monterrey to Laredo for
shopping, but he's being really nervous.
He's very hesitant to open the trunk, so I was like,
"Yeah, I got to send this guy in."
You never know what they're hiding.
Oh, it seems we've got something here.
2
It's big-game Sunday.
And at the Progreso International Bridge,
one fan has kicked off celebrations too early
and has fallen asleep at the wheel.
They told me you had a long work week.
Yeah?
The driver has admitted
to having a couple of drinks in Mexico.
I think you need a little water.
But officers have to be sure that it's only alcohol
causing his intoxication.
I'm gonna go ahead and get an officer to do
a secondary inspection on the vehicle and, you know,
we go from there.
Officers search the vehicle for signs of any
medication or narcotics.
We're going to do a full seven-point inspection on
this vehicle.
Any medication, sir?
All right, man. Where do you live?
A couple miles away?
Nothing out of the ordinary.
Negative.
The vehicle is clear.
But the driver could still face DWI charges and a $10,000 fine.
He lives here in Progreso.
- He's not that far. - Yeah.
I mean, just talk to him and see...
On this occasion, officers opt to issue a warning instead,
giving the man the chance to call for a ride home.
But with none of his friends willing to miss the pregame
party, he's left waiting until he's safe to drive.
It's a lot better for us to be able to pull him aside
and, you know, try to talk sense into him
and ask him to wait a little bit.
It's better than, you know, allowing him to drive
down the road and, you know, he could cause an accident,
take somebody's life, you know, or him-- himself.
Annually, more than 13,000 people die
in alcohol-related crashes in the US.
Roughly one person every 40 minutes.
- Whenever you think he's ready to go... - 10-4.
- ...we can let him go. - All right.
This gentleman had a moment to cool down, gather his thoughts,
and I think the shock of the officers approaching him in
the vehicle definitely woke him up.
You look good.
You look like you're sobered up.
All right. You think you're good to drive?
All right, sir.
Having had several hours to sober up, Officer Garza decides
the driver is safe to continue his journey home.
Just be safe, OK?
Just in time for the game.
Go home, take a nap.
Take a nap before...
Take a nap before you go.
Before you go party.
All right.
You take care of yourself, all right?
Yes, sir. Yes, sir.
Take care out there.
He looked pretty sober at this point.
Tired, though.
So I told him, go home, take a nap.
And he said, "What are you talking about?
It's Super Bowl Sunday."
So I guess he's gonna go...
you know, have the party continue somewhere else.
But not here.
When you're fighting sleep, you already lost.
So don't fight sleep.
You need to pull over, find a hotel, find a motel.
50 bucks is a lot cheaper than a funeral,
and I bet your family would agree.
In Laredo, on his first day on the job,
rookie officer Dang has sent
a hesitant traveler to secondary.
He's being really nervous.
He's very hesitant to open the trunk.
So I was like, "Yeah, I got to send this guy in."
Well, it seems we've got something here.
An inspection has revealed bundles of white powder
behind a panel in the trunk.
My partner, Cantu, he saw the bundles real quick,
so they just took him inside for questioning.
If confirmed to be narcotics, the driver could face federal
trafficking charges, jail time,
and a permanent ban from entering the US.
Check the line.
It looks like meth. It could be...
even cocaine-- it could be anything.
The driver has traveled from the Mexican state of Nuevo Leon,
a key narcotics transit point used by multiple cartels.
Yeah.
- There's more? - I can't reach anymore.
Oh.
There's a curve over here, downward.
That's around half of the tire, so...
We're just verifying that there's nothing else.
- But it doesn't go all the way there? - No.
No, I think we're good.
Officers have removed 32 bundles
from the left side panel.
- On the other side? - Other side.
- I think it's only glue, right? - Whew!
- You can see 'em there on this side, too. - Yeah.
It quickly becomes apparent they're only halfway through.
2 Uh-huh. I got more food here.
A lot of tacos, shrink-wrapped.
At the Camino Real Bridge in Texas...
...a driver has been stopped with a truckload
of Mexican street food.
And is trying to convince officers that none of it
contains chorizo, a pork product banned to help
prevent the spread of livestock diseases.
Picadillo, a Mexican dish of spiced ground beef,
is permitted.
But while nothing else prohibited has been found in the truck,
the quantity of food is a concern.
Only should be for
the amount of people that are in the vehicle for a month.
And by looks of it, this looks more for a year.
- It is a lot for one person. - Mm-hmm.
Agriculture specialist Villarreal suspects the man
intends to sell it.
With the evidence stacked against him,
the driver finally comes clean.
He admitted that his daughter's got a taco truck
and that he's been bringing all these products for her to sell
at the taco truck.
To bring food for commercial sale,
the driver must have the correct permits
and meet US agriculture and food safety regulations.
Agriculture specialist Villarreal consults with
a supervisor who will determine the driver's fate.
We're just waiting to see the senior officer.
He's gonna make the final call.
Violation of commercial import laws
can carry federal penalties,
including fines, seizure of the goods and vehicle...
...and even prosecution.
As a first-time offender, the driver avoids a fine
and instead has to return to Mexico to dispose of the food.
We don't want them to end up in prison or, you know,
pay excessive amounts of fines.
So giving him the break to reduce it,
giving him the warning that this could
lead to other charges and other offenses.
But not before finishing his tacos.
Normally I would interfere because we don't allow people
to be eating while they're under inspection just in case it is
something that's laced with some kind of drug.
But he kind of got ahead of me.
He was just like, "Oh, yeah, yeah, and then boom."
He finished that taco, so I'm glad he got his food.
Whoo-whoo!
We made it, baby!
- Hey! - Yeah!
Have your documents ready, guys.
In Progreso...
Hello, sir. Go ahead and look at the camera.
- You're a Cowboys fan? - Yes, sir.
Sorry to hear that, brother. Have a good day.
See ya.
...the big game on Sunday
continues to bring with it heavy footfall.
Hey!
All right, what are you bringing today, sir?
Just a six pack. That's all you went for?
All right, no medications in your pockets?
All right, sir.
Today is a busy day.
We got two parking lots
and they're both ready to explode with cars.
A surge in pedestrian numbers makes it a prime opportunity
for smugglers trying to slip through unnoticed.
From my experience, it's already at the point
of routine where I'm having
a normal conversation with somebody,
if they have a normal one back, it's a green flag.
If they start changing their way of being,
you know it's a red flag.
Officer Garza is on the pedestrian gate,
processing travelers entering into the US from Mexico.
Hello, sir.
Look at the camera right here.
What are you doing in Mexico, man?
Where are you going?
Purpose?
All right, sir. Any medication on your body?
All right, you're gonna get an inspection today, OK?
The traveler's behavior has
caught Officer Garza's attention.
This gentleman's coming to see his uncle right now.
He's got a vibe to him. He looks like he's medicated.
He's blinking a lot.
So I'm going to go ahead and send him in to get a little
more of a story from him
and also check what he's got on his person.
Hello, sir.
Anything in your pockets today?
Do me a favor. Go ahead and stand up.
Everything that's in your pockets, put it right there.
Your hoodie, go ahead and take it off and put it right here.
Concerned that the man may be concealing narcotics
or medications, Officer Perez is brought in
to question him further.
All right, man, so what were you doing in Mexico today?
You live in Mexico, and you're headed to where?
Progreso? To your uncle's house?
What are you going to go do?
How old is your uncle?
So, you're gonna go chill out with your uncle,
who's 73, 'cause-- 'cause you're bored?
All right, have you ever had any problems with us?
You've never been arrested by us?
You've never been found with any kind of pills
or narcotics or anything like that?
All right, just give me a second. Go ahead and stay right there.
He has been blinking a lot this whole entire time.
For me, that is a telltale sign of somebody who
might be nervous.
Suspecting he may be
concealing the true purpose of his visit...
Hey, Perez, I need one guy over here, bro.
Officer Perez calls for assistance to
search the traveler.
In many cases, stories like these, you know, coming from
Mexico because he's bored, going over here to the US
to be with his 73-year-old uncle,
they could just be cover stories.
You know, people like to give out unimportant details when
they're trying to cover other things that they're doing,
if they're bringing in pills, if they're bringing in cash.
It feels like a made-up story,
and he might have something on him.
2 The subject was being really nervous, so I was like,
"Yeah, I got to send this guy in."
In Laredo...
Partner Cantu, he saw the bundles real quick,
so they just took him inside for questioning.
On his first day on the job, rookie officer Dang's instincts
have led officers to detain a man traveling
into the US from Mexico.
It looks like meth. It could be even cocaine.
It could be anything.
A search of the vehicle has uncovered 32 bundles of
suspected narcotics hidden behind the left-rear panel.
- Whew! - You can see 'em there on this side too.
Yeah.
But now officers have discovered that
the right-hand side is also loaded.
No, this is a different from the other side,
because the gas tank, I think.
And that's it.
Confident all the bundles have been extracted...
Is this it-- all six, or all-- all--
- No, everything. - Everything.
Everything, OK.
...officers must now test them to determine the contents.
So we've extracted 58 bundles from the vehicle.
It could be meth, coke.
We're going to get one of the bundles and we're going to
get one of our testing machines to see what it contains.
It's a pretty good tool.
We don't have to really cut open everything.
We can literally just get the little laser and put it on
top of the bundle and see what
it picks up-- and it doesn't take that long.
It takes not even a minute, maybe.
It tested positive for methamphetamine.
Over 2.5 million Americans use meth each year.
And most of it originates from Mexico,
with more than 70,000 kilos
seized on the southwest border in 2025.
It ended up being 58 bundles of meth
which came approximately 29.7 kilos.
Today's bust alone is valued at more than $600,000.
We're gonna seize the vehicle,
and the subject, he's being stand by for prosecution
because of the load he attempted to bring in.
I think he did think that trying to be the first
or second car, we're just barely starting our shift,
that he was like, "All right, we're gonna go--
go ahead and slide through," but...
looks like we got him on this one.
The driver faces at least 10 years in federal prison,
on drug trafficking charges.
Each load we stop here,
we're saving a lot of lives.
That's why we do this every day.
With over 100,000 lethal doses of meth removed from
the streets, it's a major win for the team,
and particularly for rookie Officer Dang.
First day, second car, to find a load is crazy.
So definitely one for the books.
This is the job.
This is what we do it for.
So very excited to keep going.
Ever since I was little, I crossed the border, actually.
So I would always see the customs officers, and I was
always inspired.
I am born and raised in Laredo, Texas, and I have family
members over there in Nuevo Laredo.
So I understand where they're coming from.
So, it makes it easier to see if they're lying or anything off
with their story as well.
Every year, around 1.2 million Americans cross into Mexico
for dental care,
where treatment can cost 70% less than at home.
For most, these trips are legitimate.
But they can be exploited by cartels, giving the perfect
cover to move pills across the border.
Today, at the Juarez-Lincoln Bridge,
a man has been referred to secondary after a story raises
red flags for officers.
Officer Penaloza decides to investigate.
Y'all see anything yet?
Nothing yet.
I have some type of bag underneath.
There's two of them over here.
10-4, bring him in.
That's what came out of it-- it's a pill.
Easily, it could be a couple of hundred pills in those bags
Yeah.
All right, put your hands behind your back.
Do not move.
Sir, what type of pill is this?
All right, sir, just follow me over here.
Tramadol is a Schedule IV controlled drug
and requires a valid prescription in the US.
There's certain medication
that's allowed to bring into the United States,
and Tramadol is not one of those.
Transporting hundreds of pills across the border can be
considered drug trafficking, a felony potentially sending
the driver behind bars.
2 Have anything to declare?
I've got some toilet paper, cookies, and coffee.
- Have a nice day. - Thank you, likewise.
What are you gonna go do?
How old is your uncle?
So you're gonna go chill out with your uncle,
who's 73, 'cause-- 'cause you're bored?
In Progreso, Officer Perez is questioning a young Mexican man
who claims he is crossing into the US
to spend time with his elderly uncle.
Stories like these,
they could just be cover stories.
They're bringing in pills, they're bringing in cash.
It feels like a made-up story.
He could be trying to deceive us,
and he might have something on him.
But his behavior is making officers question
the true purpose of his visit.
Throughout our whole interaction, he's been blinking
a lot, kind of like nonstop.
Officer Martinez arrives to assist with the inspection.
All right, we're gonna go right in there, OK?
We're gonna pat him down.
Basically we're gonna check his body, see if there's anything
on him, and if we do find something, then we'll see
what the next steps are.
All right, so I'm going to go ahead and start the pat down.
Cartels rely on everyday travelers
to move drugs across the border.
Often recruiting young men as low-level couriers to transport
small quantities of narcotics and cash undetected.
Yeah.
Nah, negative.
There was nothing there.
The inspection was a negative inspection.
Turns out he's just a heavy blinker.
With nothing found on the traveler, he is free to go
shopping with his uncle.
The blinking, the same way that they start sweating
or the same way they start fidgeting,
it'll always be a flag.
As officers, we've got to do our jobs.
Sometimes if we pick up on those cues,
then we gotta act on them.
Good boy. Come on.
While it may be a negative hit in Progreso...
I have some type of bag underneath.
That's what came out of it. It's a pill.
Back in Laredo...
Sir, what type of pill is this?
Officers have uncovered two bags of pills concealed behind
the seat inside a vehicle arriving from Mexico.
Sir, do you have any medical conditions?
Do you need any water or anything like that?
All right, thank you.
He was saying that he just went over for a dentist
appointment, and it turns out he went there for just more
than a dentist appointment, yeah.
He went to go collect Tramadol, apparently.
But just to make sure, we're gonna count them
individually and test to make sure it's Tramadol.
A laser screening device
analyzes the pill's chemical composition.
Oof. Tramadol.
It was two bags.
But as you can see, there's a bunch of pills inside.
If I were to take a guess, easily over 2,000 pills.
So I'm going to have a fun time here counting them all,
which is going to be the best part of my day today.
One...
Tramadol is an opioid pain medication used by more than
16 million Americans each year.
I'm barely at 500, and we still have...
a bunch more.
Too much of these pills.
Apparently, this was all for him.
To me, this is way too much for one person.
So, yeah, more than likely, he was probably
gonna sell them or something.
Misused by nearly one in ten, its addictive qualities
and opioid effects drives demand on the black market.
I know most of the people, that's why they come over here.
They don't need the prescription
in Mexico like we do.
But it just...
I mean, it sucks.
- A thousand. - A thousand?
This is 500.
A lot of people like to cross various amount of pills
so they can-- so they can sell them.
And they make a lot of money doing it.
But with a street value of $1 to $5 per pill,
Tramadol is cheap.
Moving it by the thousands
allows traffickers to make serious cash.
So a total of 1,351 pills in that bag.
- How much was... - 1,263.
All right. The math.
There was a total of 2,614 pills.
That's a lot of pills. That's a lot of money.
Worth up to $13,000 on the black market,
it's another strike against the illegal trade.
That's a lot of money.
He ain't gonna make it today.
Suspected of trafficking a controlled substance,
the driver is turned over to Homeland Security Investigations.
For this quantity of pills, he faces up to five years in
jail and a fine of $250,000.
I'm glad that we found it.
You know, it's one less thing off the streets.
I feel like we're doing a good job here, and we're
protecting our country, yeah.