BROWNSVILLE, Texas – U.S. Customs and Border Patrol agents have arrested a teenager who allegedly attempted to smuggle 52 bundles of marijuana, valued at nearly $1 million.
Agents assigned to the Fort Brown Border Patrol Station on Feb. 22 said they observed a vehicle leaving the Rio Grande at a high rate of speed.
When the agents attempted to make a traffic stop the driver lost control and rolled their vehicle, a press release said.
Inside was 52 bundles of marijuana, weighing over 1,200 pounds. The drugs are said to be worth an estimated $969,000.
The driver and juvenile passenger, both United States citizens, were apprehended at the scene and will now face narcotic smuggling charges levied by the Cameron County District Attorney’s Office.
“Juveniles in our community are being exploited. They are making decisions that put themselves at risk and they don’t understand the consequences,” said Patrol Agent in Charge Letisia Camarillo of the Fort Brown Station.“Juveniles are viewed as cheap and disposable labor, a means for cartels to push their illicit product. They constantly recruit to replace kids that are arrested and prosecuted. It’s a horrific cycle and we need to come together to educate our children about the consequences.”
The marijuana was turned over the Drug Enforcement Administration.