Agents Seize more than $2.5 Million Worth of Marijuana

Edinburg, Texas - Nearly 3,200 pounds of marijuana was confiscated by U.S. Border Patrol agents assigned to the McAllen and Rio Grande City stations in multiple unrelated seizures Thursday.

U.S. Border Patrol agents assigned to the Rio Grande City Station seized more than 500 pounds of marijuana Thursday near Escobares, Texas.

The largest seizure occurred in Mission, Texas, when agents from the McAllen Station received information about smuggling activity in the area. Agents searched the area with the assistance of a Border Patrol K-9 team and found 24 bundles of marijuana hidden throughout the brush. As the agents continued to search the brush they apprehended one man who was fleeing from the area. The drugs weighed more than 2,000 pounds and have a value of more than $1.6 million.

U.S. Border Patrol agents assigned to the McAllen Station found more than 2,000 pounds of marijuana scattered throughout the brush in Mission, Texas, Thursday.

Additionally, agents from the Rio Grande City Station confiscated more than 1,000 pounds of marijuana in multiple incidents. The largest seizure netted more than 500 pounds when agents saw several people near Escobares walking north from the Rio Grande with large bundles on their backs. When the agents approached the group, the smugglers dropped their cargo and fled into thick brush.

The marijuana seized by the two stations has a total value of more than $2.5 million and was turned over to the Drug Enforcement Administration.

To report suspicious activity, call the Rio Grande Valley Border Patrol Sector’s toll-free telephone number at (800) 863-9382.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection is the unified border agency within the Department of Homeland Security charged with the management, control and protection of our nation's borders at and between the official ports of entry. CBP is charged with keeping terrorists and terrorist weapons out of the country while enforcing hundreds of U.S. laws.