Border Patrol reports increase in Valley drug seizures

Border Patrol from the Rio Grande Valley Sector told Action 4 News that they have seen a big increase in drug smuggling cases.

Agency officials said they had more than 100 seizures yielding more than 18,000 pounds of marijuana worth $15 million dollars.

Border Patrol agents said that represents an 87 percent increase from the time last year.

The largest bust over the last week was at the Falfurrias checkpoint where agents discovered nearly 2,600 pounds of marijuana inside a tractor-trailer.

Border Patrol agents also seized nearly 1,300 pounds of marijuana near the Granjeno area.

"We have fiscal year-to-date in marijuana apprehensions, we're over 435,000 pounds of marijuana seized fiscal year-to-date," said local Border Patrol spokesman John Lopez. "Our cocaine seizures are approximately 2,000 pounds fiscal year-to-date."

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