C.B.P. News Release

Busy Weekend for CBP U.S. Border Patrol and National Guard

(Monday, October 18, 2010)

Edinburg, Texas ─ U.S. Border Patrol agents assigned to the McAllen Border Patrol station got some help from National Guard personnel with the detection of 21 illegal aliens in Hidalgo, Texas, on Thursday.

A Texas National Guard soldier assists Border Patrol agents with the use of infrared technology mounted on a skybox, in identifying a group of 21 illegal aliens that had just crossed the Rio Grande River.

The guardsmen observed the group running north from a river levee near the Rio Grande and notified nearby Border Patrol agents. The agents went to the area and apprehended the group, which contained people from Mexico, Guatemala and El Salvador. All of the apprehended individuals were processed for removal to their countries of origin.

In several dope seizures over the weekend, Border Patrol agents netted more than 4,400 pounds of marijuana with an estimated value of more than $3.5 million.

The largest seizure occurred at the Falfurrias checkpoint on Sunday when a Border Patrol K-9 detected the odor of marijuana coming from a tractor-trailer. Upon further inspection, agents found more than 1,800 pounds of marijuana hidden within a load of window frames. The marijuana is valued at nearly $1.5 million. The Drug Enforcement Administration assumed custody of the driver, the narcotics and the tractor-trailer.

To report suspicious activity, call the Rio Grande Valley Border Patrol Sector’s toll-free telephone number at (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.

Contacts For This News Release
Tamara Mathews
CBP Public Affairs
Phone: (404) 765-2302
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