EDINBURG, Texas – Rio Grande Valley Border Patrol agents seized more than 1,100 pounds of marijuana over the Labor Day weekend.
Friday evening, Rio Grande City agents patrolling near the Rio Grande responded to suspected illegal activity near Salineno, Texas. As agents arrived to the area, they observed multiple subjects abandon a Ford pickup parked along a dirt road and run towards the Rio Grande. A search of the truck bed revealed over 900 pounds of marijuana worth more than $720K. Agents searched the immediate area but could not locate any of the smugglers.
Over the weekend, agents seized an additional 200 pounds of marijuana worth more than $157K in two separate incidents.
The Rio Grande Valley Sector currently has multiple campaigns focused on rescues and danger awareness, such as “Operation Big Rig” and “No Se Arriesgue” to combat smuggling and ultimately save lives. Call 911 to report suspicious activity; “They’re humans, not cargo!”
Even with the spread of the COVID-19 virus, human smugglers continue to try these brazen attempts with zero regard for the lives they endanger nor to the health of the citizens of our great nation. The U.S. Border Patrol agents of the Rio Grande Valley Sector will continue to safeguard the nation and community against these criminal elements.
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