see also: in January 2008:   Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism: A Year in Review   CBP, National Guard Announce Super Bowl Flight Restrictions   Cooperation Leads to Apprehension of International Fugitive   Border Patrol Seizes $109,944 Stashed in Vehicle   CBP Arrests Fugitive Arriving from Dominican into Puerto Rico   CBP and ICE Donate Thousands of Shoes to Charity   Operation Uniforce 8 ...more on cbp.gov:   CBP News Releases   Press Officers

contacts for this news release

Del Rio, Texas – Border Patrol agents assigned to the Del Rio Sector seized nearly 1300 pounds of marijuana during the week following New Year. Agents also arrested a multitude subjects in connection with the drug seizures. The apprehensions were made using different methods of enforcement which included roving patrol, line watch activities, RVS camera detection and traffic checkpoints.

The most significant seizure was made by agents assigned to the Eagle Pass station with more than 250 pounds of marijuana. Border Patrol agents responded to suspicious activity along the Rio Grande River and were advised that five individuals, carrying large backpacks, had been spotted by one of the remote cameras being operated by a National Guardsman. The agents were informed that the five individuals were moving north through an orchard towards an adjacent neighborhood. The subjects immediately dropped the backpacks and fled the area, as the agents approached. When the agents arrived on scene, they discovered eight burlap sacks paired into four carrying backpacks. A search of the makeshift backpacks uncovered packages of marijuana. Immediately after the discovery, one of the back up units in the neighborhood encountered 2 individuals running down the street a block away from where the marijuana was found. Both subjects were determined to be illegal aliens from Mexico and matched given descriptions within the group of five spotted by the camera operator.

The subjects were placed under arrest and transported to the station for processing. At the station the makeshift backpacks yielded more than 250 pounds of marijuana valued at more than $203,000.00.

In a separate seizure, Border Patrol Agents operating an established Border Patrol Traffic Checkpoint seized over 175 pounds of marijuana. A Border Patrol K-9 alerted while on primary inspection to the bed of a pickup truck and then again while in secondary. The bed of the pickup truck was loaded with a box containing a big screen television. When the agents initially opened the box all they could see was a big screen television, but as they started to remove the television it became evident that bundles of marijuana had been concealed in the bottom of the television box. A total of 120 cellophane wrapped bundles were removed weighing in at over 175 pounds, valued at more than $140,000.00.

One subject from each of the two cases along with all the contraband was turned over to the custody of the Drug Enforcement Administration. The aforementioned vehicle involved with smuggling marijuana at the traffic checkpoint was seized by the Border Patrol.

Del Rio Sector marijuana seizures for the 1st quarter of Fiscal year 2008 showed a 10% increase over the 1st quarter number of seizures in 2007.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection is the unified border agency within the Department of Homeland Security charged with the management, control and protection of our nation's borders at and between the official ports of entry. CBP is charged with keeping terrorists and terrorist weapons out of the country while enforcing hundreds of U.S. laws.