One man remains in the hospital and another made a first appearance Tuesday in federal court after leading authorities on a high-speed chase Friday that ended with the seizure of nearly 400 pounds of marijuana.
One man remains in the hospital and another made a first appearance Tuesday in federal court after leading authorities on a high-speed chase Friday that ended with the seizure of nearly 400 pounds of marijuana.
Hector Andres Rios, who made a first appearance in court and is being held without bond, and Brian Alexander Mancha, who remains in the hospital, are charged with smuggling 396 pounds of marijuana.
At 7:15 a.m. Friday morning, a Texas Department of Public Safety Ranger patrolling in an unmarked blue Ford F-150 observed a gray Chevrolet Tahoe driving north of Southpoint Road through a gap in the border fence, an area known for drug smuggling, according to the criminal complaint.
The Tahoe’s driver, Mancha, was driving erratically and swerving from one side of the road to the other, causing the Ranger to attempt to make a traffic stop, court documents show.
Mancha abruptly turned onto private property and stopped the vehicle, but when the Ranger exited their vehicle and approached the Tahoe, Mancha suddenly accelerated at a high rate of speed, stirring up sand as the man fled toward Florida Avenue, according to the criminal complaint.
The DPS Ranger pursued the Tahoe, and speeds during the chase exceeded 80 mph, according to court documents.
As the Tahoe and the Ranger approached the intersection of S. Browne Avenue and Florida Road, the Ranger reported seeing a marked Border Patrol unit responding to the chase approaching from the opposite direction, according to the criminal complaint.
Mancha was driving on the wrong side of the road and nearly hit the Border Patrol unit before losing control and hitting a tree, pinning the man in the driver side of the vehicle, court documents show.
Rios attempted to flee on foot but was apprehended, according to the criminal complaint.
Both men were transported to the hospital.
Authorities recovered seven large bundles of marijuana weighing 396 pounds, court documents show.
Rios is scheduled for a preliminary examination and detention hearing Friday in front of U.S. Magistrate Judge Ignacio Torteya III, court records indicate.
