Web Posted: 02/12/2010 12:00 CST

Valley agents seize 42,000 pounds of pot in a week

BROWNSVILLE — Rio Grande Valley-based Border Patrol agents confiscated 42,000 pounds of marijuana in the week that ended Wednesday, almost double the catch for the same week last year in a continuing trend of increased seizures, Customs and Border Protection said Thursday.

Agents seized an average of three tons of marijuana a day, with a total estimated street value of about $34 million.

Sector spokesman Joe Treviño said the rise was attributed to more resources. The agency reported similar increases for periods in 2009 compared to 2008.

“It's still continuing to increase,â€