Rio Grande Valley CBP Officers Seize More than $1.2 Million in Cocaine, Marijuana

Brownsville, Texas U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers attentiveness over the holiday weekend at Rio Grande Valley ports of entry led to the discovery and seizure of more than $1.2 million in cocaine and marijuana and the arrest of several fugitives. Brownsville, Texas, the first, a marijuana seizure occurred at 9:45 p.m., on Thursday at the Gateway International Bridge. A CBP officer referred a black and grey 1986 Ford F-150 driven by Robert Martinez, a 48-year-old male U.S. citizen and resident of Brownville, Texas for a secondary inspection. During the examination, CBP officers discovered discrepancies to the spare tire of the Ford. Pascal, a narcotic detector dog, alerted to the odor of narcotics emanating from the spare tire area of the Ford F-150. An intensive examination of the truck by CBP officers revealed 4 packages containing a total of nearly 35 pounds of marijuana hidden within the spare tire of the Ford. The marijuana from this enforcement action has an estimated street value of nearly $35,000. The driver was arrested by CBP officers and turned over to the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement special agents who continue to investigate the seizure. After thorough review of the case, Robert Martinez was processed by Cameron County Sheriffs Office on state drug charges. The second, a cocaine seizure, occurred on Saturday at Gateway International Bridge. CBP officers referred a green 1997 Jeep Grand Cherokee driven by Jesus Paredes, a 22-year-old U.S. citizen and resident of San Benito, Texas for a secondary inspection. During the examination, CBP officers noted discrepancies to the dash area of the Jeep Cherokee. An intensified examination by CBP officers of the Jeep resulted in the discovery of eight packages containing a total of over ten pounds of cocaine concealed within dash area of the Jeep Grand Cherokee. The cocaine from this seizure has an estimated street value of over $323,200. The driver was arrested by CBP officers and turned over to the custody of ICE special agents who continue to investigate the seizure and process the driver on federal drug charges. The third an arrest of a fugitive from justice took place on Sunday at 12:32 p.m., CBP officers primary query at the Brownsville and Matamoros International Bridge resulted in the discovery of an active warrant for Enrique Salazar Rodriguez, a 50-year-old U.S. citizen from Baytown, Texas. U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers referred Salazar Rodriguez to passport processing for further examination. Checks of a CBP database confirmed Enrique Salazar Rodriguez as the subject of an outstanding arrest warrant from Jefferson County Sheriffs Office from Beaumont, Texas on a sexual assault charge. CBP officers arrested Salazar Rodriguez and consequently turned him over to the custody of Cameron County sheriffs deputies pending extradition to Jefferson County. In Progreso, Texas CBP officers arrested two subjects on outstanding arrest warrants. The first arrest took place on February 14, at 6:25 p.m. CBP officers working at the Progreso port of entry arrested Anna Maria Gallardo, a U.S. citizen, age 55, from Corpus Christi, Texas. CBP officers check of a Customs and Border Protection database identified Gallardo as the subject of an outstanding criminal arrest warrant. The warrant indicated that Gallardo was wanted by the Nueces County Sheriffs Office, on a state charge of theft and probation violation. Custody of Sanchez was turned over to the Cameron County Sheriffs Office in Brownsville, Texas for extradition. The second arrest occurred on February 15, at 5:41 p.m., CBP officers query of a male subject revealed an active arrest warrant for Larceny-theft by check. CBP officers checks of a Customs and Border Protection database identified Arnold Luis Garza a U.S. citizen, age 50 from Corpus Christi, Texas and the subject of an outstanding criminal arrest warrant. The warrant identified Garza as wanted by the Bexar County Sheriffs Office, in the San Antonio, Texas area on a state charge of Larceny-theft by check. Arnold Luis Garza was then transferred to the custody of the Hidalgo County Sheriffs Office in Edinburg, Texas and is awaiting extradition to Bexar County. The third case at the Progreso Port of Entry, a cocaine seizure, occurred on Monday, at Progreso International Bridge. CBP officers referred a black 1998 Dodge Dakota driven by Manuel Esteban Payret, a 56-year-old U.S. citizen and resident of West Palm Beach, Florida for a secondary inspection. During the examination, CBP officers noted discrepancies to the motor of the Dakota. Mat, a narcotic detector dog, further alerted CBP officers to the odor of narcotics emanating from the motor of the Dodge Dakota. An intensified examination by CBP officers of the Dodge resulted in the discovery of three packages containing a total of over seven pounds of cocaine concealed within motor of the Dodge Dakota. The cocaine from this seizure has an estimated street value of almost $234,000. The driver was arrested by CBP officers and turned over to the custody of ICE special agents who continue to investigate the seizure and process the driver on federal drug charges. In Hidalgo, Texas on February 14, at 5:51 p.m., CBP officers at the Hidalgo International Bridge referred Oscar Cesar Quintanilla, 36, a U.S. citizen and resident of Kingsville, Texas for a secondary examination. Quintanilla arrived at the port of entry as the driver of a 2007 grey Nissan Quest. A CBP officer's checks of a CBP database identified Quintanilla as the subject of an outstanding arrest warrant from the Kingsville Police Department, in Kingsville, Texas. Pending charges against Quintanilla are cruelty toward a child, abandoning a child three counts. CBP officers arrested Oscar Cesar Quintanilla and subsequently turned him over to the custody of Hidalgo police officers. Quintanilla was transported to the Hidalgo city jail and is pending extradition to the Kingsville Police Department in Kingsville, Texas. On Saturday at 9:41 p.m., at the Pharr International Bridge, CBP officers referred a white 1999 Dodge Gran Caravan driven by Ruben Nieves Colion, a 25-year-old Mexican citizen and resident of Reynosa, Tamaulipas, Mexico for a secondary inspection. An intensive examination of the dodge Caravan by CBP officers revealed irregularities to the interior of the Dodge Caravan. Rocky, a narcotic detector dog, confirmed CBP officers' suspicions and alerted officers to the odor of narcotics emanating from the Dodge. CBP officers intensive inspection of the Dodge Caravan revealed eight packages with a combined weight of nearly 24 pounds of cocaine hidden within the interior of the Dodge Gran Caravan. The cocaine from this seizure has an estimated street value of over $752,000. The driver was arrested by CBP officers and turned over to the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (special agents who investigated the seizure. After thorough review of the case, Ruben Nieves Colion was processed by Hidalgo County Sheriffs Office on state drug charges. Then on February 16, at 12:54 p.m. at the Hidalgo International Bridge, a CBP officer at primary inspection queried a CBP database for a male pedestrian presenting himself for admission into the United States. The primary CBP officers checks revealed a possible outstanding warrant for the male subject. CBP officer referred Alan Cristobal Gutierrez, 21, a U.S. citizen from San Antonio, Texas for a secondary examination. In secondary, CBP verified Gutierrezs identity and confirmed he was the subject of an active outstanding arrest warrant for military desertion. CBP officers turned Alan Cristobal Gutierrez over to the custody of Hidalgo Police Department for transport to a local jail where he awaits extradition. CBP officers unrelenting vigilance over the Holiday weekend was successful with a number of seizures and arrest at the Rio Grande Valleys ports of entry. CBP officers continue their outstanding seizures, great work by our officers on the frontline, said Leticia Moran, CBP director of field operations for the Laredo Field Office, Laredo, Texas.