CBP Officers Arrest Del Rio Man, Seize Marijuana

Del Rio, Texas - U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at the Del Rio Port of Entry arrested a local man Thursday after finding marijuana hidden in his vehicle.

Tuesday morning, CBP officers at the Del Rio International Bridge inspected a 1994 Dodge Dakota pickup truck occupied by a husband and wife, and their two children. During inspection, a CBP narcotics detector dog alerted to the vehicle. Officers referred the pickup for scanning by a non-intrusive imaging system, which revealed packages hidden in body panels throughout the vehicle.

CBP officers recovered 109 packages of marijuana, weighing a total of 120.7 pounds, and worth an estimated $120,700. The driver, a 28-year-old Del Rio man, was turned over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations.

“Once again, officer training and experience, coupled with good use of CBP resources, resulted in keeping a load of illicit drugs from entering the country,” said Michael Perez, CBP Port Director, Del Rio.

The Office of Field Operations is the primary organization within U.S. Customs and Border Protection tasked with an anti-terrorism mission at our nation’s ports. CBP officers screen all people, vehicles and goods entering the U.S. while facilitating the flow of legitimate trade and travel. Their mission also includes carrying out border-related duties, including narcotics interdiction, enforcing immigration and trade laws, and protecting the nation's food supply and agriculture industry from pests and diseases.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection is the unified border agency within the Department of Homeland Security charged with the management, control and protection of our nation's borders at and between official ports of entry. CBP is charged with keeping terrorists and terrorist weapons out of the country while enforcing hundreds of U.S. laws.