McAllen Horse Patrol Agents Seize Drugs Concealed in Brush

December 07, 2009: McAllen, Texas — U.S. Border Patrol agents on horseback discovered 191 pounds of marijuana Friday evening with an estimated street value of $152,800.

Agents assigned to the McAllen station were on horse patrol near the Hidalgo, Texas port of entry when they discovered the marijuana concealed in a brushy area along the Rio Grande River. The contraband was most likely hidden in the brush for transport at a later time.

The Border Patrol uses horses to navigate areas along the Rio Grande River that vehicles cannot access. Agents on horses can also navigate rugged terrain rapidly and quietly. Horse Patrol remains one of the most effective means of drug and illegal immigrant interdiction to this day and its roots bridge the history of the Border Patrol since the agency’s creation in 1924.