South Padre Island Joint Operation Nets Marijuana, Arrests and Vessel

SOUTH PADRE ISLAND, Texas – A joint operation between agents from U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Air and Marine Operations and U.S.

Border Patrol, working alongside members of the South Padre Island Police Department, Cameron County Park Rangers, U.S. Coast Guard and Homeland Security Investigations resulted in the seizure of over 1300 pounds of marijuana, five arrests and a vessel seized last week near South Padre Island, Texas.  

A U.S. Coast Guard spotted a vessel that was northbound towards the coast. Ground units from the Brownsville Marine Unit, U.S. Border Patrol, Homeland Security Investigations, South Padre Island Police Department and the Cameron County Park Rangers converged on the area and located the vessel in the surf. Two arrest were made on the spot and 24 bundles were seized, weighing 1,367 pounds with an estimated value of more than $ 1 million. An additional three arrests were made nearby.

The Brownsville Marine Marine Unit is part of the Corpus Christi Maritime Regional Coordinating Mechanism, and Joint Task Force-West South Texas Corridor, which leverages federal, state and local resources to combat transnational criminal organizations.

Please visit www.cbp.gov to view additional news releases and other information pertaining to U.S. Customs and Border Protection.