USCG seizes 230 pounds of marijuana near South Padre Island

The U.S. Coast Guard says it has seized 230 pounds of marijuana near South Padre Island, Texas, Monday.

At approximately 1 a.m., a 33-foot Special Purpose Craft–Law Enforcement boat crew from Coast Guard Station South Padre Island sighted three individuals with bales on their backs attempting to cross the Brownsville Ship Channel on a raft.

The Coast Guard crew intercepted the raft, seized the marijuana and transported the men back to Station South Padre Island. Station personnel then transferred the individuals to Homeland Security Investigations and the contraband to South Padre Island Police Department for processing.

“Drug trafficking is a major problem we face along Texas’s southern border,” said Lt. Cmdr. Daniel Ippolito, officer-in-charge of Station South Padre Island. “With the assistance of our partner agencies, we remain ever-vigilant and committed to combating the drug trade and protecting our nation’s borders.”