Minivan with $800,000 in marijuana plunges into Rio Grande
A minivan driver with $800,000 worth of marijuana took a detour into the Rio Grande River.
On Wednesday, agents in Harlingen spotted a minivan driving away from the river. After seeing the agents, the vehicle made a U-turn and plunged into the river. Agents rescued and arrested the driver.
After extracting the vehicle, agents found eight bundles of marijuana, weighing about 1,000 pounds.
“These drug smugglers are not only endangering our communities with narcotics, but also with the tactics they are using to evade law enforcement,” Chief Patrol Agent Manuel Padilla Jr said in a news release. “Fortunately, no innocent bystanders were injured by this smuggler’s recklessness.”
On Friday, agents in Presidio seized 94 pounds of marijuana at the port of entry.
A drug-sniffing dog alerted agents about a gas tank of a 2002 Ford Explorer. Inside, agents found bundles of marijuana.
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This story was originally published August 1, 2016 at 4:43 PM with the headline "Minivan with $800,000 in marijuana plunges into Rio Grande."