Thousands of Illegal Aliens and $15.5 M Worth of Marijuana Busted on Texas-Mexico Border

HOUSTON, Texas — During the last two weeks, Border Patrol agents in Texas’ Rio Grande Valley (RGV) Sector confiscated more than $15.5 million worth of marijuana. Additionally, “thousands of people” who were in the U.S. illegally were arrested during the same time two week time period, which began on August 28. 

The confiscated marijuana weighed almost 19,500 pounds, according to KHOU. One large seizure reportedly occurred on August 30 in La Casita, when 1,100 of marijuana was discovered hidden under a bunker. 

Large marijuana seizures are not a new occurrence in the RGV Sector. Earlier this year, RGV Sector spokesman Daniel Tirado told Breitbart Texas that an average 13,000 pounds of marijuana are confiscated in the area each week. “The sizes of busts vary,” he said. 

KHOU additionally reported that 6,800 people were arrested during the same two week time period for being in the country illegally. The majority of those individuals–4,300–were citizens of countries other than Mexico. 19 of those apprehended were previously convicted of sexual crimes, many of which involved children. 

Breitbart Texas has recently been reporting on sex offender illegal immigrants taking advantage of the porous Texas-Mexico border amid the crisis, which has involved thousands of Central Americans entering the country illegally.

While the RGV Sector continues to be an area riddled with criminal activity, other more rural sectors have also seen an uptick in the apprehension of sexual offenders. In one Customs and Border Protection (CBP) sector alone, the rural Del Rio Sector, five sex offender illegal immigrants were apprehended during the last month. 

Many believe that while much of Custom and Border Protection’s efforts have been focused on hot-spot areas like the RGV Sector, more rural areas are being taken advantage of by criminals. 

Jose Castro, a spokesman for the Del Rio Sector, told Breitbart Texas, “Individuals who have committed violence are going to go to less populated areas to try to come into the country. The Rio Grande Valley is more of an urban place, but Del Rio is more rural. People who pose a threat to our country are going to try to exploit that.”

Follow Kristin Tate @KristinBTate.