Rio Grande Valley Sector Border Patrol agents seized over $3 million worth of marijuana along the Texas-Mexico Border over the weekend, a local media release from U.S. Customs and Border (CBP) protection said Monday.

Three incidents that happened over the weekend resulted to a total of 740 pounds of marijuana seized over the weekend with an estimated value of $590 thousand.

On Saturday, Border Patrol agents saw a raft "with several subjects and bundles of contraband" come through the Rio Grande near Escobar, Texas.

Tracking the footprints, the agents were led to a nearby residence where, with the assistance of Escobares Police Department, they seized six bundles of marijuana weighing 275 pounds. The subjects were not located.

In Roma, Texas, the Border Patrol agents also saw multiple individuals on a raft heading towards the U.S. riverbank on Friday with suspected bundles of marijuana. Once on land, the suspects also left the scene and went to Mexico when they saw approaching agents. Marijuana weighing 230 pounds was found in this incident.

The release also noted an incident that happened in Garceno, Texas where an additional 230 pounds of marijuana was seized.

On a separate incident reported by Fox News, Border Patrol agents stopped a drug smuggling attempt along the Texas-Mexico border Friday, seizing nearly 300 pounds of marijuana of $200 thousand stuffed in a pickup truck.

The incident happened in Laredo town. The driver abandoned the truck and fled to Mexico.

Smuggling More Than Just Drugs

The border had also seen reports of human smuggling. In a separate release from CBP Monday, agents at U.S. Highway 59 prevented a human smuggling attempt in Freer, Texas early morning of June 27.

According to CBP, border patrol agents found 22 individuals in a white box truck entering the US-59 checkpoint during an immigration inspection of the driver.

The driver may have been a U.S. citizen but the 22 individuals are all from the countries of Mexico and Honduras. All of them have been taken into custody. Special Agents of Homeland Security Investigations is now handling the case.

CBP Encouraged Public to Help Prevent Crime

While fences went up along the border, drug smugglers did not stop moving around.

David Shaw of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations told USA Today that drug cartels "operate like a business. If you put one wall up, they find a way to get around it."

The idea behind the fences was it could divert the trafficking of illegal drugs to one area: ports. In this area, agent will have lights, drug-sniffing canines, X-ray machines, and other equipment.

In the release, the CBP encouraged the public to take a stand against crime and report suspicious activity.

"Even with the spread of the COVID-19 virus, human smugglers continue to try these brazen attempts with zero regard for the lives they endanger nor to the health of the citizens of our great nation," CBP said.

The agency closed the media releases with a promise to continue protecting the community from suspicious activity and preventing the flow of illegal immigration.

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