Read more: Local, Crime, Drug Dealers, Harlingen, Business Address, Drugs, Marijuana, Indiana, Mail, Ups, Fedex, Crime, Rio Grande Valley
A Harlingen businesswoman said her life was forever changed after she became a victim of drug smugglers.
"I look at everything a lot more closely," said Mary Ann Alvarez.
She claimed the crooks have been using her business address as a front to ship their drugs.
Last week she showed us more than a dozen shipping invoices for both UPS and FedEx that have her business address fraudulently listed as the sender.
More than $1,000 in charges have been racked up.
Alvarez claimed one package that was returned to her from Indiana contained five pounds of marijuana.
She called police and hoped her story on Action 4 News would warn others about the problem.
We returned on Thursday to share news about the arrest of four drug smuggling suspects.
"I'm very, very pleased to see that... Very, very pleased,” said Alvarez.
And while the four aren't directly linked to her case, police say they were caught trying to ship marijuana through UPS and another undisclosed shipping location in the city.
Alvarez admits it is a small dent but one that sends a very big message to the Valley.
"We need to be vigilant about this ...we need to keep our eyes and ears open... especially in these hard times," said Alvarez.
And while police continue to look for the criminals who targeted Alvarez’s business, she hopes others realize how one unfamiliar charge--one unfamiliar package--can change the way you do business too.
To read more about the arrests click here
