HARLINGEN, Texas — Smugglers tried to move a bunch of marijuana from Mexico to Harlingen, Texas, this week, but ended up swimming back as their truck sank into the river.
U.S. Border Patrol agents spotted the smugglers across the border on Tuesday as they loaded a pickup onto a makeshift raft constructed of wooden pallets and 55-gallon drums. They made it across the Rio Grande to the U.S. side, where they drove the truck onto land.
The smugglers sped along the levee but then turned around after passing through a gap in the border wall, according to officials. They then drove the truck directly into the water.
Several bundles of marijuana floated out of the truck as it sank in the river. The smugglers managed to save some of the bundles as they swam back to Mexico.
The border patrol agents recovered five more bundles floating down the river. They believe there are more bundles inside the submerged pickup. A dive team will be sent down to search it.
“This operation showcases the lengths to which criminal organizations will go to smuggle narcotics into our country,” Chief Patrol Agent Gloria I. Chavez said. “Our agents remain vigilant and committed to preventing these dangerous drugs from reaching American families. The innovative tactics we observed here underscore the importance of our ongoing border security efforts.”
