Hidalgo, Texas — Officers with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), at the Hidalgo International Bridge arrested a Pharr, Texas man in connection with a failed drug smuggling attempt of marijuana.
“Our CBP officers have detected this load of marijuana due to exceptional observational skills and outstanding perseverance,” said Efrain Solis Jr., Port Director, Hidalgo/Pharr/ Anzalduas. “Although hard narcotics are the customary type of drugs encountered in passenger vehicles, this interception illustrates that smugglers have not abandoned trying to cross marijuana in small quantities either.”
The incident occurred on Saturday morning, February 22, after CBP officers working at the Hidalgo-Reynosa International Bridge came in contact with a white 1999 Ford Expedition driven by a 36-year-old male United States citizen. After presenting a State of Texas issued driver’s license, the driver and Expedition were referred to secondary for further inspection. While inspecting the SUV, CBP officers noted discrepancies in the roof area, which led to the discovery of concealed, suspected packages of narcotics. CBP removed 51 packages of alleged marijuana, weighing approximately 123.33 pounds, which carry an estimated street value of $123,000. The narcotics and vehicle were both seized.
CBP arrested the male and he was released to the custody of Homeland Security Investigations agents for further investigation.