A Rio Grande Valley Sector Border Patrol K-9 found an abandoned backpack with 40 pounds of cocaine during a commercial bus inspection at the Falfurrias Immigration Checkpoint located about 80 miles north of the Texas border with Mexico.
Falfurrias Station Border Patrol agents assigned to the immigration checkpoint located on U.S. Highway 281 in Brooks County on September 3 conducted an inspection on a commercial bus. The inspection led to the discovery of drugs being smuggled into the U.S. interior, according to information obtained from Rio Grande Valley Sector Border Patrol officials.
During the initial screening, a Border Patrol K-9 alerted to an odor it is trained to detect in the rear passenger area of the bus. The agents had all of the passengers get off the bus and then conducted a physical search of the area.
During the search, agents found a small bag of marijuana and an abandoned backpack in the restroom area of the bus, officials stated. The agents searched the backpack and found more than 40 pounds of cocaine.
Officials estimated the value of the drugs at approximately $1.4 million.
“Even with the spread of the COVID-19 virus, human smugglers continue to try these brazen attempts with zero regard for the lives they endanger nor to the health of the citizens of our great nation,” Rio Grande Valley Sector Border Patrol officials said in a written statement. “The U.S. Border Patrol agents of the Rio Grande Valley Sector will continue to safeguard the nation and community against these criminal elements.”
During Fiscal Year 2020, which began on October 1, 2019, Border Patrol agents seized at least 13,580 through the end of August. This represents an increase over FY 2019 of 1,898 pounds with one month to go, according to reports obtained from CBP officials.
Bob Price serves as associate editor and senior news contributor for the Breitbart Texas-Border team. He is an original member of the Breitbart Texas team. Price is a regular panelist on Fox 26 Houston’s What’s Your Point? Sunday-morning talk show. Follow him on Twitter @BobPriceBBTX and Facebook.