CBP U.S. Border Patrol Seizes More than 3 Tons of Marijuana

Edinburg, Texas ─ U.S. Border Patrol agents from the Rio Grande Valley Sector seized nearly 7,000 pounds of marijuana over the past Labor Day weekend. 

In one incident Friday morning, agents assigned to the McAllen Station noticed a suspicious vehicle driving away from the Rio Grande at a high rate of speed. As agents approached, the driver abandoned the vehicle and absconded to Mexico leaving behind close to a 1,000 pounds of marijuana.

In another unrelated seizure Saturday morning, agents from the Rio Grande City Station came across close to 800 pounds of marijuana after agents spotted footprints leading away from the river. Moments later, agents spotted a suspicious truck driving away from where the tracks were leading. As agents attempted to pull over the vehicle, the driver jumped out of the truck and fled into the nearby brush. The truck contained nearly 80 bricks of marijuana with an estimated value of more than $600,000. 

Additional seizures over the Labor Day weekend pushed the total value of marijuana seized from Friday through Monday to more than $5.5 million. The marijuana was turned over the appropriate agencies for further investigation.

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.