A Texas Department of Public Safety officer working as part of Gov. Greg Abbott’s Operation Lone Star discovered 300 pounds of marijuana in Big Bend after tracking footprints for 4 miles.
In March, Abbott launched Operation Lone Star to combat illegal immigration because, he said, the federal government is refusing to address the crisis and border communities continue to feel the impacts.
Five packages of drugs weighing 300 pounds were smuggled into Big Bend National Park.
(Texas Department of Public Safety)
Lt. Chris Olivarez said Sgt. James Morris of Texas DPS, who tracked the packages, is an “expert” tracker.
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After finding a set of footprints, he followed the trail for four miles into a desolate section of Big Bend National Park and was led to five bundles of marijuana.
Each bundle weighed about 60 pounds and was in compressed sacks spray-painted to blend in with the terrain.

Five packages of drugs weighing 300 pounds were smuggled into Big Bend National Park and hidden under rocks to blend in with the terrain.
(Texas Department of Public Safety)
The sacks had straps that the smugglers used to carry the drugs into the area before covering them with rocks.
Olivarez said the Big Bend area is frequented by drug traffickers because of the difficult terrain, adding that it could take three days to a week after entering the country to reach a highway.
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At this time of year, temperatures in this treacherous and desolate area of Texas average between 80 and 80 degrees.
In the summer, temperatures are consistently in the 100s and, according to Olivarez, immigrants go into survival mode when they make the journey from Mexico to the US; some have even died.

Five packages of drugs weighing 300 pounds were smuggled into Big Bend National Park and hidden under rocks to blend in with the terrain.
(Texas Department of Public Safety)
Olivarez said officers working on Operation Lone Star sometimes find drugs, like in this case, and other times the leads may lead them to undocumented immigrants.
On November 2, a state trooper stopped a vehicle for speeding in Brackettville, Texas.
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After an investigation, the police found that the rear passenger seats were lowered and six undocumented immigrants were lying in the back of the vehicle.
Latvia Jenkins of Camden, Arkansas was the driver of the vehicle and Kajsean Gude of Little Rock, Arkansas was the front seat passenger.
Both Jenkins and Gude were arrested and charged with human trafficking.
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The six undocumented immigrants were turned over to US Border Patrol agents.
Olivarez said he has discovered that people will come from out of state to drive undocumented immigrants relatively short distances for a few thousand dollars.