Drug Smugglers Float a Chevy Trailblazer Across the Rio Grande

EDINBURG, Texas – Rio Grande Valley (RGV) Border Patrol agents interdicted two narcotics smuggling attempts resulting in the seizure of more than 731 pounds of marijuana.

On the evening of March 22, Brownsville Border Patrol Station agents working near Brownsville, Texas, observed a Chevrolet Trailblazer being ferried across the Rio Grande and making an incursion into the U.S. As agents responded to the area, the vehicle changed direction and headed back towards the Rio Grande. The driver was seen jumping into the river and absconding into Mexico. Agents extracted 28 bundles of marijuana with a weight of over 648 pounds. The seized marijuana is valued at over $519K.

On March 21, Rio Grande City Border Patrol Station agents received information of possible narcotics smuggling at a property near Garceno, Texas. Agents responded to the area and discovered two abandoned bundles of marijuana in the nearby brush. No subjects were encountered. The marijuana weighed over 83 pounds with an estimated street value of nearly $72K.