Mexican military rescues 141 from Rio Bravo stash house

RIO BRAVO, TAMPS. -- A Mexican military patrol rescued 141 people from a Rio Bravo stash house and arrested a man suspected of engaging in immigrant smuggling.

An infantry battalion patrolling the streets about 7 p.m. Sunday spotted several people signaling for help from the residence's window, according to a news release from the Mexican defense secretary. A man guarding the house was taken into custody and all 141 people inside the home were rescued.

Mexican national Jose Luis Ruiz Mata, 29, was arrested on kidnapping charges.

The people found inside the home comprised 114 Hondurans, 15 Salvadorans, nine Guatemalans, one Brazilian, one Nicaraguan and one Mexican.

RIO BRAVO | DRUG SEIZURE

More than 6,000 pounds of marijuana were seized from a Rio Bravo home by a Mexican military patrol.

A special forces battalion patrolling spotted several people running toward a house when they saw the military patrol, according to a news release from the Mexican defense secretary. The patrol searched the home and found 564 packages of marijuana with a combined weight of 6,289 pounds.

HIDALGO | DRUG SEIZURE

U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials seized about $145,000 in drugs in two unrelated enforcement efforts Friday at the Hidalgo-Reynosa International Bridge, according to an agency news release.

A Philadelphia woman, Tara Resto, 22, was found walking across the bridge about 9 a.m. with unusual bulges in her abdominal area, the news release states. She was directed to a secondary inspection area where officers found six cocaine packages hidden in her undergarments.

The 541 grams of cocaine - about 1.2 pounds - is valued at $39,000.

A few hours later, officers working the northbound vehicle lanes stopped a 1996 Jeep Cherokee, the release says. During an inspection, X-ray scanning revealed anomalies in the tires, where officers found metal containers concealing 32 marijuana packages.

The driver, Mayela Judith Rocha de Rios, a 38-year-old Mexican national, was arrested on federal drug charges.

The 133 pounds of marijuana has a street value of about $106,000.

Both women remain detained pending appearance before a U.S. magistrate.

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Monitor staff writer Jared Janes compiled this report.