Mexican drug cartels are reportedly employing innovative methods to smuggle narcotics into the United States, including concealing drugs within cattle. Sources along the Texas and New Mexico borders indicate that cartels exploit the spaying process of heifers—young female cows that have never given birth—to insert narcotics into the animals before they are transported across the border.
Hudspeth County, Texas, Sheriff Arvin West noted the cartels’ creativity in utilizing cattle for smuggling operations, stating, “When they do the spaying process, they’ll ship the drugs in the cows.”
The increase in heifer imports from Mexico, prompted by a decline in U.S. cattle inventory, has provided cartels with new opportunities to exploit these livestock shipments.
Former New Mexico state Senator and cattle rancher Steve McCutcheon explained that once the cattle cross the border, the cartels retrieve the concealed drugs before the animals are sold legally. The proceeds from drug sales are then hidden in trucks returning to Mexico, where the funds are used to purchase more cattle, perpetuating the cycle.
While U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials have acknowledged the cartels’ resourcefulness, they have not encountered specific instances of drugs being smuggled inside cattle at certain ports of entry. However, the use of livestock trailers for smuggling operations has been documented, highlighting the ongoing challenges faced by border security in combating such sophisticated tactics.
This alleged method of drug smuggling underscores the adaptability of cartels in circumventing law enforcement measures and the necessity for continuous vigilance and innovative strategies to secure the U.S. border effectively.
