Texas Border Agents Seize More Than 2 Tons of Marijuana over Weekend

Rio Grande City, Texas - U.S. Border Patrol agents assigned to the Rio Grande City Station seized more than 4,000 pounds of narcotics, with a value of more than $3.6 million in multiple seizures this past weekend.

One of the largest seizures occurred near Fronton, Texas, when agents noticed several people throwing large bundles into the bed of pickup truck near the Rio Grande. Upon noticing Border Patrol agents, the driver of the truck sped away from the river. Agents called a helicopter from CBP Office of Air and Marine, which spotted the truck abandoned in a wooded area. When agents on the ground caught up to the truck, they found it had collided with a tree and the driver was no where to be found.

Inside the truck agents found more than 1,400 pounds of marijuana, with a value of more than $1.1 million.

In another unrelated seizure, agents were patrolling near Escobares, Texas, when they observed several people carrying large bundles on their backs. As the agents approached, the people in the group dropped what they were carrying and fled into the thick brush. The smugglers left behind more than 880 pounds of marijuana with a value of more than $700,000.

The marijuana was turned over to other agencies for further investigation.

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.