Smugglers abandon $1 million worth of marijuana in Starr County

RIO GRANDE CITY — U.S. Border Patrol agents seized more than $1 million worth of marijuana Wednesday night along Los Barreras Road near the Rio Grande.

The agents spotted a group of smugglers carrying bundles away from the river, the agency said in a news release.

When the agents approached the smugglers, they dropped their load and fled south toward Mexico.

Agents searched the immediate area and found 16 bundles of marijuana with a combined weight of about 1,300 pounds.

The drugs were turned over to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.

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Ana Ley covers law enforcement and general assignments for The Monitor. She can be reached at (956) 683-4428.