June 27, 11

NEWS / Texas Border Patrol Agents Seize Nearly $9M in Narcotics

Rio Grande City, Texas ─ U.S. Border Patrol agents assigned to the Rio Grande city station confiscated more than $7.2 million worth of cocaine and more than $1.7 million worth of marijuana in multiple seizures Thursday night and early this morning.

On Thursday evening, agents saw several people cross the Rio Grande from Mexico and walk through a wooded area toward Escobares, Texas. When the agents approached the group and identified themselves, the smugglers fled into the thick brush, leaving behind nearly 230 pounds of cocaine.

The largest marijuana seizure occurred that same night when agents working near Rio Grande City followed fresh footprints to an abandoned trailer. As agents approached the trailer they detected a strong odor of marijuana. Inside the trailer agents found more than 1,100 pounds of marijuana.

Finally, smugglers abandoned a pickup truck and more than 1,000 pounds of marijuana early this morning when they were confronted by agents near Fronton, Texas. The smugglers were in the process of loading the truck with marijuana when they were approached by agents, at which time they fled and crossed the river into Mexico.

The narcotics from the three seizures will be turned over to the Drug Enforcement Administration for further investigation.

http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/newsroom/news_releases/local/06242011_4.xml