Almost 70 pounds of marijuana was seized by Border Patrol agents after two men and a minor were found attempting to cross the Rio Grande near Fort Hancock, Texas.
One of the men was found to have an extensive criminal record.
U.S. Border Patrol agents working near Fort Hancock, just east of El Paso, saw three people illegally crossing the mostly dry Rio Grande into the United States on Feb. 27, Border Patrol officials said.
The men and the teenager were carrying backpacks and were stopped by agents and taken into custody, officials said.
Agents took them to the Fort Hancock station for processing.
Agents said they found marijuana in the backpacks.
In total, the men and minor were allegedly attempting to smuggle about 68.5 pounds of marijuana into the U.S., officials said.
Agents fingerprinted and conducted background checks on the members of the group.
The background check on one of the men, 55-year-old Marin Gonzales, revealed an extensive criminal record, officials said.
Gonzales, who is from Mexico, was once a lawfully admitted permanent resident in the United States but he was deported after being convicted of several crimes, officials said.
He was convicted of aggravated assault against a household member, battery against a household member, battery upon a peace officer, inflicting corporal punishment on spouse, and possession of a controlled narcotic, officials said.
Gonzales was turned over to U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration agents for further prosecution. The minor will be turned over to Mexican authorities.
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© 2019 the El Paso Times (El Paso, Texas)
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
