CAMERON COUNTY, Texas—Airmen from the Texas Air National Guard detected and apprehended three drug smugglers near Brownsville, Texas, February 19, 2023. The Guardsmen seized 112 pounds of cannabis with a street value of $89,000 from the smugglers who illegally entered the U.S. from Mexico.

The Guardsmen used advanced day and night optics to help spot the suspected drug smugglers illegally crossing the Rio Grande River. The Guardsmen routinely provide unique skills and equipment to assist partner agencies detecting and preventing illegal activity.

“The situation began to unfold when our Border Patrol partners let us know they saw some suspicious activity near the border,” said Staff Sergeant Santos Flores, a Special Operations team member in Task Force South. “So, I formulated a plan on how our team could operate tactically and stealthily, putting us in the best position to apprehend the drug traffickers.”

The Airmen volunteered for Operation Lone Star and work side-by-side Texas Department of Public Safety and other law enforcement partners to deter criminal activity from spilling across the Texas – Mexico border.