FRONTON, Texas — On Wednesday, December 6, agents assigned to the Rio Grande City Border Patrol Station acted on information received to disrupt a narcotics smuggling attempt near Fronton, Texas. Responding agents observed a maroon SUV heading south toward the Rio Grande.
After searching the area, they encountered the vehicle flipped on its side, but the driver was nowhere to be found. Presumably, the driver absconded into Mexico and left behind 119 bundles of marijuana weighing over 1,300 pounds. The narcotics, estimated to be worth $1,084,633.20, were turned over to the Drug Enforcement Administration.
“We are fortunate that the actions of our agents prevented the driver from entering a residential neighborhood with complete disregard for the safety of those in the area,” said Chief Patrol Agent Manuel Padilla, Jr. “Continuous attempts to smuggle these massive amounts of narcotics are symptoms of a porous border and emphasizes the need for additional personnel, technology and infrastructure to stop these events from occurring.”
