Border Patrol Seizes $7.6 Million In Drugs

4-Day Span Nets 1,600 Pounds Of Pot, 60 Pounds Of Cocaine

POSTED: Wednesday, July 13, 2011

EDINBURG, Texas -- U.S. Border Patrol agents from the Rio Grande Valley Sector confiscated more than 7,000 pounds of marijuana and 60 pounds of cocaine in multiple seizures over the past four days.

According to a statement released by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the most significant seizure occurred Saturday morning when agents assigned to the McAllen Station spotted a suspicious van driving away from the Rio Grande near Penitas, Texas.

According to the statement, agents, with the assistance of a helicopter from the Office of Air and Marine, attempted to stop the vehicle, the driver made a U-turn and returned to the river, where he bailed and fled to Mexico.

Inside the van, agents found more then 1,600 pounds of marijuana and 60 pounds of cocaine. The total estimated value of the seizure is more than $3.2 million.

Overall, from Friday through Monday, more than $7.6 million worth of narcotics were seized throughout the Rio Grande Valley. The drugs were turned over to other agencies for further investigation.

http://www.ksat.com/news/28534425/detail.html