More than 23,000 square miles covering 14 counties form the South Texas Partnership. A 647-mile portion of the Rio Grande River marks the southern South Texas Partnership boundary and its border with Mexico. Approximately 70 miles of Gulf of Mexico intercoastal waterways form the eastern border of the designated region. Approximately 6 million people inhabit the region comprising the South Texas Partnership and Mexican cities bordering the Rio Grande River. Drug origins are primarily Mexico, Central and South America.
Major drugs seized include methamphetamine, heroin, ecstasy, cocaine, and marijuana.
Drug volume seizures in 1999 grew more than 105 percent from 1998. The South Texas POE are among the busiest in the nation. The Laredo, Texas POE is the busiest cargo land POE in the United States. High traffic levels resulting from the North American Free Trade Agreement play a significant role in illicit drug trafficking. Smugglers attempt to use POE traffic to mask illicit drug transportation.