Brownsville, Texas, border agents said Wednesday they confiscated 159 pounds of marijuana in two separate smuggling attempts Tuesday. Marijuana is legal in some form in 38 U.S. states but federal law still classifies it in the same category as heroin and fentanyl. Large cannabis plants sit in bright lights in a grow room at the Beleaf Medical Growing Facility in Earth City, Mo., in 2023. File Photo by Bill Greenblatt/UPI |
License PhotoApril 2 (UPI) — Brownsville, Texas, border agents said Wednesday they confiscated 259 pounds of marijuana in two separate smuggling attempts Tuesday.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection said in a statement, “The first occurred just after midnight as agents observed multiple individuals carrying large bundles north from the Rio Grande. Agents apprehended three individuals and located four bundles of marijuana nearby totaling 107 pounds with an estimated value of $85,700. A fourth individual absconded back to Mexico.”
The second incident happened at roughly 5 a.m. when agents took three more suspects into custody and seized six bundles of marijuana.
Border patrol put the dollar value of the marijuana at $85,700 in the first incident and $121,688 in the second.
“These recent narcotic seizures in the span of just five hours highlight the relentless efforts of our agents in safeguarding our nation. We are committed to stopping the flow of illegal drugs and ensuring the safety of our communities,” said Rio Grande Valley Sector Chief Gloria I. Chavez in a statement.
The people arrested were turned over to the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Marijuana is legal in some form in 38 states in the United States, either recreationally, medicinally or both.
It is not in the same chemical drug class as true narcotics like heroin, but law enforcement still refers to marijuana as a “narcotic” because it is still listed in the classification as heroin and fentanyl under U.S. federal law.
