When President Barack Obama announced his intention to ban assault weapons and high-capacity clips, Brownsville Police Chief Orlando C. Rodriguez said criminals would find new ways to commit crimes, like by duct-taping two clips together.
The numbers are staggering. More than 8.8 million pounds of marijuana, cocaine, heroin and meth have been seized along the Texas border in the past seven years, a recent report by the Texas Department of Public Safety revealed.
The report — released Wednesday — sheds light on how many drug seizures have been made between April 2006 and December 2012. It details what law enforcement authorities across the state face nearly every day.
Those seizures happened only in the 54 Operation Border Star counties, part of an initiative Gov. Rick Perry launched in 2007 to increase law enforcement presence and to deter crime.
“Outside of these counties, the Texas Department of Public Safety seized an additional 24,946 pounds of marijuana, 1,575 pounds of cocaine, 68 pounds of heroin, and 752 pounds of meth in 2012,” the report states.
Drug Trafficking
Cameron and Hidalgo counties are in one of the five major drug corridors in Texas, according to the report.
The Gulf Coast corridor covers both counties and north to Houston and San Antonio, and it includes U.S. Highways 281, 77 and 59, and Interstate Highways 37 and 10.
“These highways provide direct routes to and from Houston, San Antonio, and Dallas-Fort Worth, all of which are major consolidation points for drugs and currency,” the report states.
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