WESLACO – The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) seized 98 kilos (216 pounds) of cocaine during an Operation Lone Star traffic stop in Hidalgo County. The cocaine seized has a street value of $2 million.
On April 16, 2024, just after 5:00 P.M., the DPS Criminal Investigations Division (CID), with assistance from the Texas Highway Patrol, stopped a truck tractor semi-trailer in McAllen for a traffic violation. During a vehicle search, a Trooper and Special Agents discovered 90 cellophane-wrapped bundles containing cocaine concealed inside a pallet of dried goods in the cargo area. Further investigation led Agents to a residence in McAllen where three AR-15 rifles and one AK-47 were recovered.
Francisco Marquez-Carretero, Tania Rodriguez-Hernandez and Christian Martinez Caudillo, from Mission, Texas, were arrested and transported to the Hidalgo County Jail where they face criminal charges for manufacturing and delivery of a controlled substance.
### (DPS South Texas Region)