C.B.P. News Release

Dope, Guns, Ammo Seized from Stash House

(Thursday, October 07, 2010)

La Rosita, Texas — U.S. Border Patrol agents assigned to the Rio Grande City station, in conjunction with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, a K-9 team from the CBP Office of Field Operations, Roma Police Department, and the Starr County Sheriff’s office, seized more than 1 ton of marijuana.

Agents on patrol near La Rosita on Wednesday reported that they had discovered what appeared to be a stash house. The residence had all of its windows covered by black plastic trash bags and it had a surveillance camera mounted on the roof above the front door.

Thursday at about 1 a.m., agents responded to suspicious activity in the vicinity of the residence and detected a strong odor of marijuana. A K-9 team from the CBP Office of Field Operations at the Roma Port of Entry was summoned and alerted to the odor of narcotics at the residence. ICE was notified and a search warrant was obtained.

Upon gaining entry into the house, agents discovered 2,320 pounds of marijuana stashed in a bedroom, a high-caliber firearm, and three fully loaded 30-round magazines. The house, although appearing to be lived in, was uninhabited at the time of the seizure. No immediate arrests were made.

The narcotics had a cumulative value of close to $2 million and ICE Homeland Security Investigations assumed custody of the case.

“This event demonstrates the effectiveness in which local, state, and federal agencies combine their efforts in detecting illicit activity and their diligence in keeping drugs from reaching our communities,â€