US Customs and Border Protection officers seized more than $540,000 worth of cocaine at Eagle Pass Port, the Texas border crossing which has been at the center of a sharp surge of illegal immigration.

A 28-year-old US citizen, who was not publicly identified, was caught trying to smuggle 41 pounds of cocaine from Mexico through Eagle Pass on Sunday, according to the CBP.

Officials marked the American’s vehicle for inspection, with officers and K-9 units discovering 19 packages of the narcotic sealed away in a compartment beneath the car’s center console.

Homeland Security agents took the suspected smuggler into custody, with CBP officers estimating the street value of the cocaine at $547,510.

“This significant seizure was possible because of the continued vigilance and alertness our CBP officers put forth on a daily basis,” Acting Port Director Pete Beattie said in a statement.

The seizure comes a week after CBP officers confiscated more than $1 million worth of drugs at the same port.

Officials said that case featured an Audi TT trying crossing into the country from Mexico which was earmarked for a second inspection. A search revealed it to be carrying 78 pounds of cocaine with a street value of $1,042,034.

The seizure occurred on the same day around 11,000 migrants crossed into the US from Mexico across the southern border, with about 4,000 of them going through Eagle Pass.

The huge waves of migrants have put a great strain on border officers, who have to inspect and process them all.

The site has garnered public attention after reports of migrants crawling through razor wire while howling in pain and wading through the dangerous Rio Grande to reach the US.

The tiny border city saw around 11,500 migrants crossing within 10 days in mid-September, a record setting surge.

Speaking in New York last week Texas Gov. Greg Abbott claimed president Biden could solve the border crisis if he more strictly enforced immigration laws.

“Joe Biden can flip that switch any day and stop New York dealing with the consequences of an open border. Unless and until that is done, New York and other states are going to continue to deal with this. “

August alone saw 180,000 migrants admitted to the country to pursue asylum claims, and for 2023 the number stands at 1.23 million.