Border Patrol agents in Texas’ Rio Grande Valley Sector seized nearly 560 pounds of cocaine worth an estimated $18 million in three separate drug busts on Sunday morning. Two of the seizures occurred at a highway checkpoint, while the third happened during a roving patrol stop initiated by agents.
The first seizure took place at the Javier Vega, Jr. Immigration Checkpoint near Sarita, Texas, where agents discovered 287 pounds of cocaine hidden in a vehicle after a K-9 unit alerted them to the presence of narcotics. The estimated street value of the cocaine exceeded $9 million. The suspects, who remain unidentified, face federal charges of possession with intent to distribute and conspiracy.
Within hours, agents at the same checkpoint intercepted 163 pounds of cocaine using non-intrusive inspection technology. The shipment was valued at over $5 million, and the individuals involved were also charged with drug trafficking offenses.
Later that morning, Border Patrol agents near Kingsville, Texas, acting on intelligence information, performed a traffic stop on a highway leading away from the border. They discovered 111 pounds of cocaine with an estimated value of $3.5 million. The suspects in this case will face similar federal drug trafficking charges.
These drug busts come shortly after the Trump administration designated six Mexican drug cartels as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs). Among the designated groups is the Gulf Cartel, which controls much of the territory south of the Texas Rio Grande Valley. The classification allows for increased sanctions and law enforcement action against cartel operatives.
The significant cocaine seizures underscore the ongoing efforts of Border Patrol agents to disrupt cartel drug trafficking networks operating along the southern border.
