United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers seized thousands of pounds of cannabis in multiple incidents at the U.S.-Mexico border in Texas over the past week.
On Tuesday, May 28, a CBP officer at the World Trade Bridge in Laredo, Texas flagged a 2019 Freightliner carrying a shipment of synthetic rubber to undergo secondary inspection.
Officers conducted a canine inspection and non-intrusive imaging system scan and discovered 768 packages containing a total of 7,272 pounds of marijuana hidden inside the vehicle.
After seizing the cannabis, CBP turned the case over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement-Homeland Security Investigations.
On Friday, Border Patrol agents patrolling the Rio Grande watched as smugglers landed a small white boat on a riverbank south of Fronton and transferred plastic-wrapped bundles into a white Chevy Tahoe waiting nearby.
The driver of the Tahoe drove away as mobile units responded to the scene but turned around and drove back to the river after encountering the Border Patrol units.
Several individuals were reported to have been seen exiting the Tahoe and fleeing to Mexico, carrying some of the bundles in their arms.
Agents recovered a total of 750 pounds of cannabis from the Tahoe and the river.
On Sunday, Border Patrol agents working near El Ranchito received a report of several individuals crossing the Rio Grande with bundles of cannabis, but when agents responded and approached, the smugglers dropped their packages and fled to Mexico.
Agents recovered five bundles containing more than 375 pounds of cannabis.
Border Patrol agents also seized more than 500 pounds of cannabis in five other separate incidents over the past four days.
CBP reports that they are investigating each case accordingly.
