Smugglers use pickup to ferry pot across Rio Grande, officials say

BROWNSVILLE – U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents from the Fort Brown station in Brownsville seized more than 680 pounds of marijuana after observing a white pickup floating across the Rio Grande River.

CBP officials said the agents spotted the truck on a “makeshift ferry” Tuesday and dispatched mobile units to the area.

When the agents arrived at the scene, the driver abandoned the vehicle and fled back to Mexico.

The agents then discovered 28 bundles of marijuana in the bed of the pickup worth an estimated $550,000.

The marijuana will be turned over to the Drug Enforcement Administration, officials said.

CBP officials also encourage the public to take a stand against crime in their communities and to help save lives by reporting suspicious activity at 800-863-9382.