A 31-year-old man was arrested after he was caught driving a van filled with marijuana bundles.
He told authorities he did it because he needed money for Christmas.
On Wednesday evening, a Border Patrol Agent responded to Pepe’s on the River Bar and Grill in Mission.
The agent saw a suspicious van drive toward’s the restaurant’s entrance and back up to a nearby gate.
He then saw several suspects carrying bundles on their backs, running from an area of brush to the van.
As the agent attempted to come up to them, the driver of the van quickly sped away from the restaurant.
On the driver’s attempted flee, two marijuana bundles fell from an open car door.
Other agents came to assist and saw the van drive into a nearby canal.
The driver attempted to swim across the canal, but was caught and placed under arrest.
He was identified as Martin Rodriguez-Bernal.
Twenty bundles of marijuana were recovered from the van and taken to the McAllen Border Patrol Station.
Rodriguez said told agents that he was offered $1,000 to take the marijuana from Anzalduas Park to an unknown area.
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