The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) made a significant drug bust during an Operation Lone Star traffic stop in Hidalgo County. On April 16, 2024, just after 5:00 P.M., DPS Criminal Investigations Division (CID) and Texas Highway Patrol conducted a routine stop on a truck tractor semi-trailer in McAllen for a traffic violation.
During a thorough search of the vehicle, officers uncovered 90 cellophane-wrapped bundles of cocaine hidden inside a pallet of dried goods in the cargo area. The total amount seized weighed 98 kilos (216 pounds) and has an estimated street value of $2 million.
Following the discovery, further investigation led agents to a residence in McAllen where they recovered three AR-15 rifles and one AK-47.
Francisco Marquez-Carretero, Tania Rodriguez-Hernandez, and Christian Martinez Caudillo, all from Mission, Texas, were apprehended at the scene. They were transported to the Hidalgo County Jail and are facing criminal charges for manufacturing and delivery of a controlled substance.
