Collin County Sheriff: 'Today’s seizure is yet another example of the consequences of an open and out-of-control border with Mexico'

Collin County Sheriff Jim Skinner said the large volume of drugs their department has seized demonstrates the danger of cartels and the increased flow of criminals over the border. The Collin County Sheriff's Department seized approximately 20 kilograms of methamphetamine from a vehicle on US-75 in late August. Many drug and human smugglers have been apprehended on US-75, as well as other locations in North Texas.

According to a press release, the Collin County Sheriff’s Office stopped a vehicle on US-75 in late August and discovered approximately 20 kilograms of methamphetamine in a hidden compartment. Two individuals were arrested in connection with the event and taken into custody.

“Today’s seizure is yet another example of the consequences of an open and out-of-control border with Mexico,” Skinner stated, according to the press release. “As we know all too well, these dangerous drugs peddled by the Cartels are aimed at our citizens and are prolific killers. Investing in partnerships, manpower, and specialized training to fight these criminals is essential. I am proud of the work by my dedicated deputies and our law-enforcement partners to keep our communities safe.” 

Fentanyl-related overdose deaths in Collin County have increased by 571% in the last 3 years, WFAA reported. In September, the Collin County Sheriff's Office Gang and Habitual Offender Strike Team (GHOST) charged a Princeton man with a 2nd-degree felony for selling fentanyl-laced drugs that caused the death of a 29-year-old. Another 25-year-old Collin County resident was killed by a pill he thought was Percocet, but that was actually almost entirely fentanyl. 

"In a way, it was the end of the world for me. What else do I have to live for?" the victim's father said.

Dallas Police led a raid in Plano in September, where they broke up a sex trafficking ring that was operating out of a short-term rental in a residential area, KWTX reported. Neighbors expressed frustration with the Plano City Council, saying that despite the fact that hotels are banned in Plano's ordinance, the city collects a hotel occupancy tax from short-term rentals.

Statewide, more than 300,000 victims of human trafficking pass through Texas each year, News Nation Now reported. University of Texas at Austin researchers reported in 2016 that there were at least 79,000 minors being sex trafficked in the state each year, in addition to approximately 234,000 workers being trafficked for labor.

In December, a traffic stop on US-75 in Collin County led to the arrest of Mexican citizen Ernesto Chavez, age 45, who was transporting more than 46 pounds of methamphetamine in his vehicle, the Weatherford Democrat reported. The sheriff's deputy who made the arrest was part of the North Texas Sheriff’s Criminal Interdiction Unit (NTXSCIU), which is comprised of law enforcement from Collin, Grayson, Hunt, Parker, Rockwall, Smith, Tarrant and Wise counties who have been working together since 2017 and have seized "tons" of narcotics from North Texas highways. 

“The program is especially beneficial in that the collaboration allows each law enforcement officer to cross jurisdictional lines into participating counties to conduct investigations or task force operations,” Parker County Sheriff Russ Authier said, according to Weatherford Democrat. “This allows a broader coverage while maintaining a centered-focus on drug interdiction. Each participating sheriff’s office assists other agencies in identifying and arresting hundreds of drug traffickers which would not have been possible without this collaborative effort. The street value of the methamphetamine seized during this stop was valued at more than $400,000. The NTXSCIU took these narcotics off the streets of North Texas.”