- The Kleberg County Sheriff's Department sees an increase of drug smugglers during the holidays.
- The main drugs being transported are fetanayl and meth.
- Law enforcement typically sees drugs being smuggled from the South to the North.
- There is no common type of drug smuggler. The Sherrif's Department said pit comes down to money, who wants it, who needs it and who is willing to risk the consequences for it.
- There are signs to pay attention to in order to catch drug smugglers.
As traffic along U.S Highway 77 picks up, it's not just holiday travelers who are on the road.
The Kleberg County Sheriff's Department said that the highway is commonly used as a drug smuggling route, especially during the holidays.
There is a border patrol checkpoint in Falfurrias, but for those who manage to clear that checkpoint, they aren't home free just yet.
Kleberg County Chief Deputy Jaime Garza has been busting drug smugglers for about 40 years. Back then, most seizures involved shipments of cocaine, marijuana and heroine. Now, the main drugs being intercepted on their way north are fetanayl and meth.
"Anything past the checkpoint, everything doubles, even triples," Garza said.
Law enforcement said drug trafficking increases during the holidays and bad weather.
This is because smugglers test their luck by trying to blend in with the tens of thousands of cars traveling on Highway 77. Officers never know which car, truck or even motorcycle could be carrying drugs, but they can't just pull anyone over.
"We have laws we have to abide by such as racial profiling, things like that. Sometimes it's just pure luck that you make a traffic stop and you notice discrepancies and as you dig further you end up finding different things," Garza said.
Those making the stops need a special skill set and diligent eye, which comes with training and experience. They look for signs related to body behavior and movement, personality, etc.
"You got to have a special knowledge and understanding, the mechanics of a vehicle, pay attention to eye contact, you could be shaking. When you’re doing something wrong, and you know it’s wrong, that’s when things turn on you," Garza said.
When it comes to who commits the crime and does the time, Garza said nobody is exempted from the law.
"It just depends on the person who needs the money but again it's just about the person out there who wants to take the chance," Garza said. "They may get away with it several times but eventually people are caught. If we catch someone smuggling drugs, we are indirectly saving lives because those drugs never made it to their destination."
Garza said their staff is doing the best they can with what they have, but they can't catch everyone, but rest assured they will be looking.
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