FALFURRIAS, TEXAS - U.S. Customs and Border Protection Border Patrol agents intercepted 4,008 pounds of marijuana at the Falfurrias Border Patrol checkpoint on Saturday. The contraband has an estimated value of $3,206,400.
The seizure occurred when agents assigned to the Falfurrias Checkpoint observed a 1995 Freightliner tractor-trailer enter the primary inspection area. While the primary agent performed an immigration check on the driver, a CBP Canine team conducted a non-intrusive, free air sniff around the tractor-trailer. The canine alerted on the trailer and the driver was directed to the secondary inspection area for a closer inspection. A search of the trailer revealed 326 bundles of marijuana weighing 4,008 pounds, with an estimated value of $3,206,400.
Texas National Guard personnel assigned to the Rio Grande Valley Sector in support of Operation Jump Start assisted the Falfurrias Border Patrol agents by unloading the cargo, which consisted of frozen broccoli. This collaborative endeavor illustrates how the Texas National Guardsmen are making a difference by performing support duties, allowing Border Patrol agents to focus on law enforcement duties.
The driver, a fifty-two-year-old United States Citizen from Donna, Texas was arrested. The case was turned over to the Drug Enforcement Administration in Corpus Christi, Texas, for further investigation.
To report suspicious activity, contact the Rio Grande Valley Border Patrol Sectors’ toll free telephone number at 1-800-863-9382.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection is the unified border agency within the Department of Homeland Security charged with the management, control and protection of our nation's borders at and between the official ports of entry. CBP is charged with keeping terrorists and terrorist weapons out of the country while enforcing hundreds of U.S. laws.