Borderforce USA: The Bridges
A joint venture between Discovery and BBC Studios, offering unprecedented access to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Customs and Border Protection agency as they operate on the 28 bridges connecting the United States of America and Mexico. The lives and work of the DHS are followed and explored as they guard the border and process the millions of people who cross it every year, as well as finding a wide array of illegal contraband, much of it expertly concealed.
Seasons
1. Deadly Secret
Air Date: 2019-02-24
A shipment of cardboard packaging hides a deadly secret. Heroin disguised as a computer laptop baffles the world's most advanced narcotic detection device. The diligence of agriculture specialists pays off and saves America's forestry from a potentially devastating insect infestation.
2. Cartel Ambush
Air Date: 2019-03-03
Officers are on high alert for a cartel ambush as they transfer a Sicario over one of the 28 border bridges and into the custody of the Mexico military. A random inspection of a pick up truck reveals 32 kilogrammes of narcotics while a man, his aluminium shed. A broken key brings chaos then smiles to the Gateway to the Americas Bridge in Laredo.
3. Suspicious Travelers
Air Date: 2019-03-10
Officers are suspicious when an elderly couple arrive from Mexico with five suitcases but no clothes. On the World Trade Bridge, an X ray of a truck hauling garden furniture reveals something more might be in the load and in Laredo, officers help a woman and her child fleeing cartel violence in Central America.
4. Cocaine Crackdown
Air Date: 2019-03-17
Officers in Brownsville process an American citizen who crossed over the bridge 20 years ago and discover the reason he didn t want to come back. In Laredo, a car being driven by a man who claims he was coming into the country to shop at the supermarket, in fact, smuggling 15kg of cocaine while a truck driver s modified cab attracts the attention of Customs and Border Protection at the World Trade Bridge.
5. The Decoy
Air Date: 2019-03-24
Officers become suspicious when they pull over a businessman from Mexico who is making a rare journey to the United States in a brand new car. On the Juarez Lincoln International Bridge in Laredo a man is detained after a canine alerts to drugs in a car. But why is he carrying such a small amount? Is it because he is a decoy for a cartel and trying to draw attention away from a bigger shipment of narcotics crossing the bridge at the same time? And an innocent pedestrian gets more than he bargains for when he is mistaken for a wanted man who officers believe is armed and dangerous.
6. 5000 Rounds of Ammunition
Air Date: 2019-03-31
Vigilant Customs and Border Protection officers uncover 5,000 rounds of ammunition being smuggled across Hidalgo Bridge into Mexico while 200 miles away in Laredo, an elite team prepares for the extradition of a hitman wanted for murder in his home country.
7. 2000 Miles from Home
Air Date: 2019-04-07
America's Gatekeepers are stunned when they discover over 2 million of the drug mixed in with gallons of household paint and bottles of beer. On the Gateway to the Americas Bridge in Laredo, Texas, a teenager from the Dominican Republic who has travelled 2,000 miles to the United States border in the back of a truck pleads his case for asylum while a man wanted on a warrant is found to be carrying something suspicious in the panels of his car?
8. Five-Million Dollar Meth Bust
Air Date: 2019-04-14
In Hidalgo, a young woman from Cuba crosses the bridge in the hope of being granted political asylum in America while officers in Laredo get a surprise when they stop three biology students carrying something unusual in the boot of their car. Meanwhile, a new recruit is responsible for one of the biggest drug busts the Juarez Lincoln Bridge has ever witnessed.
9. Escaping from the Cartel
Air Date: 2019-04-21
Customs and Border Protection officers think they have spotted a trend when they seize drugs from behind the dashboards of two cars. One load has an ominous symbol that suggests it is the deadly new drug, Fentanyl, that is being concealed. Meanwhile in Laredo a Mexican woman and her children ask officers for protection from her eldest son a recent recruit to the notorious Los Zetas cartel who is threatening to kill his entire family.
10. Hidden Cocaine
Air Date: 2019-04-28
A new recruit fresh out of training school makes her mark when she uncovers 12 kilos of cocaine hidden in a car. Officers on the border bridges are put on high alert for a kidnapped child who police fear has been smuggled over the border into Mexico.
1. Life on the Line
Air Date: 2020-03-11
Officers put their lives on the line when they transfer cartel members to the Mexican military authorities. A Police officer from Caracas, Venezuela, pleads for asylum in the United States, and a man who has been bar hopping on the other side of the river returns to the United States and finds his angry wife waiting for him.
2. Hardcore Narcotics
Air Date: 2020-03-18
A routine X ray reveals suspicious packages hidden inside the tyres of a pick up truck, and a specialized team is tasked with extracting the packages. Officers seize a shipment of marijuana worth about 50 million dollars. Barricades are erected on the Juarez Lincoln Bridge in an attempt to prevent illegal immigrants from forcing their way on to American soil.
3. Human Smuggling Operation
Air Date: 2020-03-25
A family forced out of Honduras by the gangs, seek asylum in America. At the World Trade Bridge officials search a cargo truck and find a large shipment of marijuana hidden in it, and in a surprise turn of events, on the Brownsville Gateway Bridge, an inspection of an SUV driven by a pregnant mother of two, appears to be a human smuggling operation.
4. Kidnapped by the Cartel
Air Date: 2020-04-01
A young boy arrives at one of the bridges, and his sorry hard luck story seems out of keeping with his new clothes and clean appearance, so Officers must investigate further. After way too much alcohol on an all day bar hop over the border, two sisters are detained after one of them makes the mistake of getting physical with a customs officer.
5. Storming the Bridge
Air Date: 2020-04-08
Hidalgo bridge is over run by asylum seekers trying to jump the queue, which forces officials to close the bridge. When two bags of sweets are found wrapped in a tarpaulin, Officers suspect something is amiss, and man from Cuba with mother in law problems, is politely informed that he has no grounds seeking asylum because of her.
6. 50,000 Dollars in Cash
Air Date: 2020-04-15
Day trippers can buy prescription pills on the cheap in Mexico, resulting in a continual challenge for border officers. A new recruit looking for her first drugs seizure is rewarded with success when she stops an SUV heading for Atlanta, and elsewhere a suspected courier for one of the Mexican cartels, appears to be trying to smuggle 50,000 in cash out of the country.
7. Secret Hiding Place
Air Date: 2020-04-29
A man taken by a Mexican drug cartel sprints across the bridge into America; at Progreso International Bridge, a lady is caught hiding anti-anxiety pills. / A refugee from Venezuela tells officers how she paid human traffickers to smuggle her to the Mexico-US border. In Laredo, an American couple are caught smuggling methamphetamine.
8. Hidden in Plain Sight
Air Date: 2020-05-06
A man kidnapped by a drug cartel flees across the bridge into America and a rock band’s tour bus is found to be a front for an elaborate drug smuggling operation. / A family from Venezuela plead with officers to enter America. In Progreso, a suspected drug dealer is caught smuggling pills in his underpants.
9. Pickup Truck Payout
Air Date: 2020-05-13
Officers are faced with a harrowing situation in the middle of the bridge, and millions of dollars worth of drugs are found in a pick-up truck. / More than 100 boxes full of drugs are discovered inside an unlikely vehicle at the World Trade Bridge. In Progreso, a suspected gang member attempts to cross into the US.
10. Teenage Drug Bust
Air Date: 2020-05-20
Two teenage girls are caught smuggling anti anxiety pills, an strange vehicle is found to contain many boxes of drugs and a suspected gang member tries to cross over. In a pickup truck, a high tech coding system, suspected of hiding a drug concealment, poses a challenge for officers.
1. Episode 1
Air Date: 2021-09-13
Officers intercept an arsenal of weapons being smuggled into Mexico. A consignment of Fentanyl is discovered in a freezer.
2. Episode 2
Air Date: 2021-09-13
Officers discover the fuel tanks on a truck are full of liquid meth. Three men wearing identical clothing cause suspicion. A man is caught smuggling reptiles.
3. Episode 3
Air Date: 2021-09-20
A woman is suspected of smuggling someone else's baby over the border. Drugs are found hidden in a consignment of carrots. A pill smuggler is caught following an earlier tip-off.
4. Episode 4
Air Date: 2021-09-27
A man travelling with two children that aren't his is questioned. A traveller is caught smuggling cash. Officers find drugs in a flat-bed truck.
5. Episode 5
Air Date: 2021-10-04
Officers discover UPS packages lined with drugs. A 14-year-old runaway is picked up at the Gateway to the Americas Bridge. A mother is caught trying to smuggle marijuana.
6. Episode 6
Air Date: 2021-10-11
In Pharr 840kg of meth is discovered in the floor of a truck. Aromatic candles filled with Fentanyl are intercepted at the World Trade Bridge.
7. Episode 7
Air Date: 2021-10-18
Two 16-year-olds are suspected of smuggling drugs for a cartel. A man tries to enter the US with false documents. Marijuana worth $7million is found inside rolls of carpet.
8. Episode 8
Air Date: 2021-10-25
Packages of meth are found in the wall of a trailer. Two brothers are caught smuggling pills. Prohibited Mexican delicacies are intercepted.
9. Episode 9
Air Date: 2021-11-01
In Progreso, a 20-year-old woman is caught smuggling pills. In Laredo, 500kg of marijuana is found hidden inside a consignment of household goods.
10. Episode 10
Air Date: 2021-11-08
Meth is found inside a truck driver's speakers, a Mexican boy claiming US citizenship is questioned, and AC units containing drugs are intercepted.
1. Episode 1
Air Date: 2023-03-13
A large shipment of fake fentanyl pills is intercepted. An automatic rifle with its ammunition is found inside a loudspeaker. A woman who was dealing drugs for her boyfriend is captured. Police officers try to save a man who is overdosing.
2. Episode 2
Air Date: 2023-03-20
A truck is stopped and inside it they find a shipment of wet wipes, but upon closer inspection they find cocaine hidden. A US citizen is caught with thousands of Tramadol tablets hidden in his hand luggage among bags of dried fruit.
3. Episode 3
Air Date: 2023-03-27
A huge shipment of cocaine is found hidden in the floor of a truck. A young man tries to enter the United States to enroll in school. A woman is caught smuggling fentanyl pills, and a drunken couple refuse to pay their fine for illegal avocados.
4. Episode 4
Air Date: 2023-04-03
A woman is caught trying to enter the US with a baby that isn't hers. A man wanted for a serious crime is intercepted. A driver suffers a heart attack while crossing a bridge, and a shipment of coconut oil is discovered to contain methamphetamine.
5. Episode 5
Air Date: 2023-04-10
Methamphetamine is found in a shipment of broccoli, an elderly man tries to smuggle pills in protein powder, and a woman receives a humanitarian visa to see her dying son.
6. Episode 6
Air Date: 2023-04-17
Money and guns belonging to a cartel are found in a car, an illegal shipment of exotic reptiles is discovered in a van, and a man is caught smuggling medication.
7. Episode 7
Air Date: 2023-04-24
An armed robber on the run is captured at the border, a drunk driver causes a three-car crash on a bridge, and cocaine is found hidden inside office furniture.
8. Episode 8
Air Date: 2023-05-01
Thousands of dollars of cartel cash are found hidden in an engine, an intoxicated 17-year-old requires urgent medical treatment, and cocaine is found in bags of rubbish.
9. Episode 9
Air Date: 2023-05-08
Cocaine is found hidden inside the wall of a refrigerated truck, and a Honduran immigrant fleeing gang violence applies for asylum in the US.
10. Episode 10
Air Date: 2023-05-15
A shipment of meth disguised as concrete is intercepted, and officers interview a Haitian immigrant who has crossed nine countries on foot to reach America.
1. Episode 1
Air Date: 2024-09-29
Millions of dollars-worth of marijuana is found hidden in a shipment of matresses, and officers detain a mother and daughter who've been smoking meth.
2. Episode 2
Air Date: 2024-10-06
A man wanted for murder is apprehended at the border. Officers discover more than 80 kilos of cocaine hidden inside a tractor trailer.
3. Episode 3
Air Date: 2024-10-14
Officers investigate a collector travelling with parts of a space rocket, and 380 kilograms of crystal meth is discovered in a shipment of limes.
4. Episode 4
Air Date: 2024-10-21
24 kilograms of cocaine are found concealed in the air tank of a truck, and a cache of weapons bound for Mexico is intercepted.
5. Episode 5
Air Date: 2024-10-27
Officers intercept a shipment of hundreds of gun parts headed for Mexico, a nurse is caught smuggling pills in her boots, and a traveller carrying goat meat is inspected.
6. Episode 6
Air Date: 2024-11-03
A tip-off (see previous episode/S05E05) unearths a vast shipment of heroin and cocaine disguised as garbage bags, and officers respond to a medical emergency and deal with a drunken US Marshal.
7. Episode 7
Air Date: 2024-11-10
More than 130 packets of cocaine are found hidden in the seats of a bus, a car explodes in the middle of the bridge, and a retiring officer makes his final bust.
8. Episode 8
Air Date: 2024-11-17
Officers discover fentanyl hidden in the backseat of a car, and two elderly sisters are caught trying to smuggle more than 600 tramadol pills.
9. Episode 9
Air Date: 2024-11-24
Officers make a massive seizure of meth hidden inside fruit crates, a former teacher is taken surprise by a warrant for her arrest, and a Syrian man begs for help.
10. Episode 10
Air Date: 2024-12-01
120 kilograms of cocaine are discovered in the axles of a lowboy trailer, and two men are caught attempting to smuggle a rooster for cock-fighting.
11. Episode 11
Air Date: 2024-12-08
Packages of cocaine are found concealed in the chassis of a bus, officers receive a tip-off about a vehicle loaded with cartel cash, and a magician comes under scrutiny.
12. Episode 12
Air Date: 2024-12-15
A shipment of cocaine is discovered in the fifth wheel of a tractor-trailer, and officers searching a courier van find a cache of firearms.
1. Episode 1
Air Date: 2025-05-04
Officers in Eagle Pass seize over 15 kilograms of heroin and unveil a new cartel drug-smuggling tactic, and a Mexican family in Laredo makes a plea for humanitarian parole.
2. Episode 2
Air Date: 2025-05-11
Officers hand over a convict to Mexican authorities in the middle of the Juarez Lincoln bridge, and a man drops a marijuana joint on a customs floor in Progreso.
3. Episode 3
Air Date: 2025-05-18
A man fears for his life after being stopped by a cartel in Laredo, clubbers in Detroit are found with drugs disguised in liquid, and officers stop a shipment of frozen rats.
4. Episode 4
Air Date: 2025-05-25
Border officers in Detroit apprehend a woman after finding a handgun and ammunition in her vehicle, and officers in Eagle Pass find 150,000 dollars' worth of methamphetamine.
5. Episode 5
Air Date: 2025-06-01
Officers find a man-made compartment within the trailer of a truck returning Stateside, and two Americans arouse suspicions with an unsafe lane change at the US-Canada border.
6. Episode 6
Air Date: 2025-06-08
Officers at Eagle Pass intercept a driver smuggling narcotics over the border, and a group of passengers in Laredo refuse to admit to owning an air compressor full of rifles.
7. Episode 7
Air Date: 2025-06-15
Officers in Progreso detain a man who made a dash back toward Mexico, and the team in Laredo uncovers methamphetamine concealed in a shipment of landscaping stone.
8. Episode 8
Air Date: 2025-06-22
A man wanted for serious sexual offences is apprehended in Progreso, and agents intercept a group of migrants moments after they cross the Rio Grande river.
9. Episode 9
Air Date: 2025-06-29
Officers in Hidalgo seize over 200 kilos of methamphetamine concealed in a car, and the hunt is on in Detroit for invasive insects which could destroy the US timber industry.
10. Episode 10
Air Date: 2025-07-06
Officers find a suspicious compartment within the trailer of a truck returning to Texas, and a man hides over 300 cheap forms of medication about his person in Progreso.
11. Episode 11
Air Date: 2025-07-13
A pedestrian is caught at Hidalgo Bridge smuggling narcotics in bags of coffee, and a nervous woman in Progreso is taken for a pat down.
12. Episode 12
Air Date: 2025-07-20
Officers in Laredo intercept a truck smuggling narcotics over the border, and a courier heading to Mexico is caught delivering guns and ammunition in Eagle Pass.
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Rating
7.5/10
Release Date
2019-02-24
Episodes
64 (6 seasons)
Status
Returning Series
Cast
Production Companies
Stampede Productions