Border Patrol Agents Seize 1,000 Pounds of Mexican Gold

LAREDO, TX – U.S. Border Patrol agents assigned to the Laredo North Station stopped two drug smuggling attempts and seized nearly 1000 lbs of marijuana in west Laredo.

The first incident occurred early afternoon on February 22, when agents responded to a report of  a suspicious vehicle near the Rio Grande River in the west side of town.  When the agents arrived on scene, the individuals absconded and were seen swimming across the river to Mexico. 

Six bundles of marijuana were seized that had an approximate weight of 446.43 lbs with an estimated value of $357,210. 

The second incident occurred less than two hours later, when agents responded to suspicious activity of an individual carrying a bundle across the river near the west end of Jefferson Street.  As agents approached the area, several subjects were seen absconding back to Mexico and abandoning five bundles of marijuana. The bundles had an approximate weight of 488.32 lbs with an estimated value of $390,656. 

In both incidences, the contraband was subsequently turned over to the Drug Enforcement Administration. 

Even with the presence of the COVID-19 pandemic, U.S. Border Patrol agents of the Laredo Sector continue to secure the Nation’s borders and prevent the smuggling of drugs.  Their mission is to target and investigate potential violators of the law by utilizing state-of-the-art intelligence data, equipment, collection, and analytics.