U.S. Customs and Border Protection

ALPINE, TEXAS (News Release) – U.S. Border Patrol agents from the Alpine, Texas Station seized more than 530 pounds of marijuana during a vehicle stop approximately one mile south of the Border Patrol checkpoint on Highway 385 on Sunday.

On Feb. 4, at approximately 9 a.m., agents from the Alpine Station noticed a vehicle pulled off on the shoulder of Highway 385 south of the checkpoint. The two agents proceeded to perform a welfare check on the vehicle and questioned the driver, a Cuban national.  Suspicious looking bundles covered by a blanket were discovered in the back of the vehicle. A Border Patrol canine indicated the presence of narcotics and the bundles tested positive to marijuana.

The driver was arrested for possession of marijuana, an illegal controlled substance under Federal Law. A total 19 bundles of marijuana were seized weighing a total of 530.29 pounds with a street value estimated at approximately $424,232.00.

“The vigilance of our Border Patrol agents in Alpine, Texas led to a significant seizure of illegal Marijuana,” said Big Bend Sector Chief Patrol Agent Walter N. Slosar. “Our agents, as part of their border security mission, interdict illegal narcotics being transported across the border intended for the interior of the country. The work that they do to disrupt Transnational Criminal Organization’s drug smuggling operations is vital to protecting our citizens from these illegal substances.”

The case and the narcotics have been turned over to the Drug Enforcement Agency for further investigation and prosecution.