LAREDO, Texas – During a recent 24-hour period, U.S. Border Patrol agents from the Laredo Sector disrupted criminal networks and saved lives as they rescued 22 undocumented aliens and seized 427 pounds of marijuana in three separate, unrelated incidents.
On July 23, shortly after 3 p.m., Laredo North Station agents assigned to the Border Patrol checkpoint located on Interstate Highway 35 rescued 20 undocumented aliens concealed inside a tractor-trailer. The driver was referred to secondary inspection where the agents discovered the undocumented immigrants in the locked trailer area. All of the undocumented aliens, including 18 men and two juvenile males, were from Mexico. None of the subjects required medical attention. The case was turned over to Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) for further investigation.
Bundles containing 427 pounds of marijuana within pickup truck toolbox seized by U.S. Border Patrol agents assigned to the Laredo West Station.
Earlier that same day, Laredo Sector Border Patrol Search Trauma and Rescue (BORSTAR) agents, aided by Office of Air and Marine air interdiction agents, assisted in the rescue of two distressed aliens within the Laredo West Station area of responsibility. Ground-based BORSTAR agents and OAM air interdiction agents responded to a 911 callout for two subjects lost in the ranchlands West of Laredo. After BORSTAR agents located the lost subjects, a BORSTAR paramedic was airlifted to the location. The paramedic administered life-saving techniques to one unresponsive subject with a weak pulse; the other subject did not require medical attention. After stabilizing the subject with a weak pulse, he regained consciousness and was subsequently airlifted to a local hospital.
In the pre-dawn hours of July 23, Laredo West Station agents responding to reports of suspicious activity encountered a black Toyota Tundra at a ranch West of Laredo. After agents made initial contact with the vehicle, the driver sped off. Border Patrol agents later located the vehicle and found 18 bundles hidden within the toolbox containing 427 pounds of marijuana. The marijuana has an estimated street value of $341,600. The narcotics, vehicle, and subject were turned over to the Webb County Sheriff’s Office.
The Laredo Border Patrol 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 such as drug and/or alien smuggling, contact the Laredo Sector Border Patrol toll free telephone number at 1-800-343-1994.