Agents pick up half a ton of pot inside home near Palmhurst

NEAR PALMHURST — An anonymous tip Monday led authorities to raid a house just north of the city limits.

They found about a half a ton of marijuana concealed in bundles inside.

Two Hispanic men inside tried to run away before police arrested them at the home along Bertha Boulevard, a dead-end street north of Mile 3 North and Trosper roads, said Dora Muñoz, local commander for the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area task force. She said the task force started its investigation about 11:30 a.m. Wednesday and raided the house about two hours later.

Muñoz refused to identify the men until they are formally charged in federal court today.

Hidalgo County sheriff's deputies, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents and Hidalgo County Precinct 3 deputy constables jointed HIDTA task force agents at the raid, Muñoz said.

One neighbor said she wasn't surprised by the swarm of undercover officers who descended on the home.

Speeding cars, loud music and screeching tires late at night are common in the colonia, said neighbor Leticia Cuevas, who lives one block north of the Bertha Boulevard home where the raid took place.

"It's scary," she said. "I always keep my gate closed. I don't want (my children) to run out in the street."

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Monitor staff writer Ana Ley contributed to this report.

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Jared Taylor covers law enforcement and general assignments for The Monitor. You can reach him at (956) 683-4439.