MCALLEN, Texas — A suspected drug smuggler crashed an older model luxury vehicle into an irrigation canal during an attempt to flee from authorities.
The crash took place on Tuesday morning when U.S. Border Patrol agents near the border city of San Juan spotted 28-year-old Juan Antonio Alanis driving a gray 2006 BMW heading south towards the Rio Grande, court records obtained by Breitbart Texas revealed.
The agents set up surveillance and were able to see a group of men come out of the river and load marijuana bundles into Alanis’ car. The agents tried to stop Alanis as he drove away from the river.
The driver of the BMW tried to evade agents on a dirt road leading to a levee. Border Patrol agents moved to stop him but Alanis swerved into an irrigation canal. Authorities were able to pull Alanis and an unidentified passenger from the vehicle.
Inside the vehicle, authorities found various marijuana bundles with an approximate weight of 260 pounds and two small bags with 5.8 grams of crack cocaine.
On Wednesday, Alanis went before U.S. Magistrate Judge Dorina Ramos who ordered he be held without bond, pending a detention hearing at a later date.
Ildefonso Ortiz is an award winning journalist with Breitbart Texas. He co-founded the Cartel Chronicles project and you can follow him on Twitter and on Facebook.