EDINBURG, Texas – Agents from the Border Patrol’s Rio Grande Valley Sector seized nearly 19,400 pounds of marijuana, with an estimated value of more than $15.5 million, in a two-week span from Aug. 28 –Sept. 11.
One of the largest marijuana busts occurred in La Casita on Aug. 30, when agents found more than 1,100 pounds hidden in an underground bunker.
Additionally, agents arrested 19 subjects with prior convictions for sex-related offenses, more than half of which involve children. In addition, three illegal immigrants with active arrest warrants were apprehended by agents. One of the warrants was for child pornography charges out of Houston, another for child sexual abuse in Washington, D.C., and the third was on child sexual assault charges out of Plano. The arrested individuals were extradited to the locations with jurisdiction over their cases.
The Rio Grande Valley Sector is part of the South Texas Campaign, 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.