$700,000 in Black Tar Heroin: Shocking Texas Border Drug Bust

In one recent seizure, Texas border agents intercepted a shipment of methamphetamine and black tar heroin from entering the United States. The combined value of the massive bust exceeded $1.3 million.

Heroin and Meth Seized Along Texas Border

On October 6, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents sent a 37-year-old Mexican citizen to secondary inspection after raising suspicions at the Los Indios International Bridge in Brownsville.

Thanks to the assistance of a canine unit, officers discovered numerous packages hidden within the vehicle. In total, they found 67.1 pounds of alleged meth and 42.5 pounds of alleged black tar heroin.

The street value of the meth was estimated to be roughly $595,996. The heroin street value? $714,092.

This brought the grand total of the illegal drugs to approximately $1,331,172.

What is Black Tar Heroin?

The highly addictive opioid known as heroin is actually processed from morphine and is extracted from certain poppy plants. Heroin can come in multiple forms, from a white or brown powder to a black sticky substance (black tar).

According to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the likelihood of overdose is high since dealers often mix the narcotic with other substances like sugar or powdered milk, so it's hard to determine how much is being consumed.

Whether it's injected, smoked, or snorted, heroin use triggers a surge of euphoria before trapping the user in a hazy state of sleep.

Common symptoms of heroin use include the following:

• Drowsiness
• Constricted pupils
• Nausea
• Warm flush of the skin
• Dry mouth
• Heavy extremities