U.S. Border Patrol Looking To Clear Air About Searches Of School Buses
By: Dylan Brooks
Updated: December 4, 2012
MARFA -- The Big Bend Sector of the United States Border Patrol is hoping to clear the air about their policy of searching school buses for drugs at West Texas checkpoints.
A bus driver found nearly 500 pounds of marijuana in some black duffel bags that were stowed in the cargo area of a Culberson County-Allamoore I.S.D. bus on November 19th.
The bus was taking basketball players home to Van Horn from a game in Presidio when the driver found the drugs during a stop at a Stripes Convenience Store in Marfa.
The driver shared the discovery with a Border Patrol agent (who was filling up his patrol vehicle nearby).
The Border Patrol agent called Drug Enforcement Agency agents and Presidio County Sheriff's deputies soon rushed to the scene.
The bus was allowed to return to Van Horn -- with a police escort from Presidio and Culberson County Sheriff's deputies.
Coaches on the bus claim they don't know where the duffel bags came from.
In the wake of this incident, school districts in Culberson and Presidio counties have been tightening security on school-sanctioned bus trips out of town.
The incident has also brought attention to a supposed policy where border patrol agents would let the buses through area checkpoints without stopping them.
However, the Big Bend Sector is now saying that canines do inspect the buses at all checkpoints.
If the dogs find something, agents will search the buses thoroughly.
The Big Bend Sector is planning to discuss the issue with Big Bend area school officials on Thursday.
A bus driver found nearly 500 pounds of marijuana in some black duffel bags that were stowed in the cargo area of a Culberson County-Allamoore I.S.D. bus on November 19th.
The bus was taking basketball players home to Van Horn from a game in Presidio when the driver found the drugs during a stop at a Stripes Convenience Store in Marfa.
The driver shared the discovery with a Border Patrol agent (who was filling up his patrol vehicle nearby).
The Border Patrol agent called Drug Enforcement Agency agents and Presidio County Sheriff's deputies soon rushed to the scene.
The bus was allowed to return to Van Horn -- with a police escort from Presidio and Culberson County Sheriff's deputies.
Coaches on the bus claim they don't know where the duffel bags came from.
In the wake of this incident, school districts in Culberson and Presidio counties have been tightening security on school-sanctioned bus trips out of town.
The incident has also brought attention to a supposed policy where border patrol agents would let the buses through area checkpoints without stopping them.
However, the Big Bend Sector is now saying that canines do inspect the buses at all checkpoints.
If the dogs find something, agents will search the buses thoroughly.
The Big Bend Sector is planning to discuss the issue with Big Bend area school officials on Thursday.
