Clorox bottles filled with water seized at Texas border crossing

EL PASO, Texas (Border Report) — The Fabuloso has been fiddled with, and the Clorox compromised.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers seized a shipment of cleaning supplies that were tampered with and prohibited for sale in the U.S., according to a news release.

It happened when border officers conducted a secondary inspection on a box truck entering the U.S. from Mexico on March 16 at the Bridge of the Americas in South-Central El Paso.

The driver’s shipment manifest said he was importing 168 boxes of Clorox bleach; 75 boxes of Pinol cleaner; 28 boxes of Fabuloso cleaner; 23 boxes of Pinol cleaner; nine boxes of Clorox cleaner; and 20 boxes of Adorable brand toilet paper.

But after further examination, CBP officers and National Guardsmen realized many of the bottles had no safety seals and appeared to have been tampered with.

“Smuggling can be a dirty business, even when it involves cleaning supplies,” the CBP release quipped.

Officers said the bottles of bleach didn’t smell like bleach. In fact, border officers soon determined that most of the products merely contained water.

“In the current environment, it is reprehensible that someone would attempt a scheme like this to prey upon the concerns and fears of our community, likely for financial gain,” said Hector Mancha, CBP El Paso director of field operations. “Our officers remain focused and attentive to all threats they may encounter.”