Edinburg, Texas – U.S. Border Patrol agents from the Rio Grande Valley Sector seized more than 36,000 rounds of ammunition on Monday and nearly $7.6 million worth of marijuana over the weekend.
The ammunition was seized after agents received an anonymous tip concerning suspicious activity in the Rio Grande City area. Agents immediately responded to the tip and began searching near the Rio Grande. During the search, agents saw eight people swimming across the river to Mexico. They continued to search and found footprints that led them north to a Chevrolet Trailblazer. Inside the vehicle, agents found numerous boxes of 7.62x39 caliber ammunition ̶ the type used in the AK-47 and similar weapons.
“Such a large quantity of ammunition could have had a devastating impact on communities on both sides of the border and to our agents or other law enforcement officers,” said Acting Chief Patrol Agent Raul Ortiz. “The vigilance of these agents potentially saved lives that would have been lost had this ammunition ended up in the hands of violent criminals. Reducing the levels of violence on both sides of the border is an important aspect of the South Texas Campaign and these types of seizures are a good demonstration of CBP’s efforts to accomplish those goals.”
The Rio Grande Valley Sector is part of the South Texas Campaign, which leverages federal, state and local resources to combat transnational criminal organizations. Through a coordination of efforts among federal agencies the ammunition case is being investigated by Customs and Border Protection along with the Border Enforcement Security Task Force from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement-Homeland Security Investigations.
“Stopping the flow of ammunition and weapons illegally exported into Mexico is an urgent priority for HSI,” said Special Agent in Charge Janice Ayala, HSI San Antonio. “While no arrests were made, our agents will continue to pursue leads and bring those responsible to justice before they fall into the hands of the drug cartels, which pose a threat both here and abroad.”
In addition to the ammunition, agents seized nearly $7.5 million worth of marijuana over the weekend.
The largest bust occurred at the Falfurrias Checkpoint on U.S. Highway 281 North on Saturday when agents arrested a man attempting to smuggle more than 3,000 pounds of marijuana through the checkpoint. Agents found the drugs after a K-9 alert prompted further inspection. The marijuana was found in a trailer mixed in with a load of charcoal. Agents at the checkpoint made a similar marijuana seizure of nearly 2,000 pounds on Sunday.
Several additional seizures brought the total amount of marijuana confiscated between Friday and Sunday to nearly 9,500 pounds.
To report suspicious activity, call RGV Sector’s toll-free telephone number at (800) 863-9382.