Feds again find drugs in gas tank

FOR THE RECORD

LA JOYA | CHASE

The driver of a truck packed with illegal immigrants led La Joya police on a chase Thursday morning, officials said.

Police tried pulling over the driver of a red Chevrolet truck about 8:15 a.m. after he nearly sideswiped another vehicle on 3 Mile Line in east La Joya, said Officer Joe Cantu. But the man kept going until he reached Peñitas, where he took a sharp turn at Gill Road and lost control of the vehicle.

The man and five passengers escaped, running into a patch of bushes. U.S. Border Patrol agents detained five other passengers, all Mexican nationals.

Later in the day, officers spotted two of the passengers who escaped and arrested them. Both were from Honduras.

HIDALGO | DRUG SEIZURE

Authorities seized about 175 pounds of marijuana Wednesday morning at the Hidalgo-Reynosa International Bridge, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

The drugs, with an estimated street value of $140,000, were found in the gas tank of a GMC van driven by Edgar Serrato-Alvarado, 19, of Dallas.

The teen was arrested on federal drug charges and is in the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement special agents who are investigating the case.

He is to remain incarcerated pending an appearance before a U.S. magistrate.

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Monitor staff writer Ana Ley compiled this report.