WESLACO, Texas –A joint operation between agents from Air and Marine Operations and Border Patrol from the Rio Grande Valley led to the confiscation more than 685 pounds of marijuana and the seizure of an SUV Friday.
The seizure occurred when an SUV loaded with marijuana was traveling north from the Rio Grande near Weslaco. An Air and Marine Operations helicopter monitored the vehicle from altitude and relayed information to the Border Patrol agents on the ground. The driver abruptly turned the vehicle south and attempted to drive it into the river, but ended up mired in deep sand just shy of the bank. At the river’s edge 10 subjects exited the vehicle with three bundles of marijuana and swam back to Mexico as the Border Patrol agents were arriving on scene. Once the area was secured, agents found 10 bundles of marijuana weighing more than 685 pounds and with an estimated value of $548,000.
The Rio Grande Valley Sector is part of the Joint Task Force-West South Texas Corridor, which leverages federal, state and local resources to combat transnational criminal organizations. To report suspicious activity, call the sector’s toll-free telephone number at 800-863-9382.