MISSION, Texas – A suspected drug trafficker assaulted federal officers with his vehicle this week at the international bridge that connects this border city with Mexico. On Tuesday, Manuel Tamez, drove his Nissan Rogue to an inspection booth at the Anzalduas-Reynosa International Bridge, court records obtained by Breitbart Texas revealed.
Tamez is described by authorities as a 29-year-old U.S. citizen. He went before a U.S. magistrate judge on Tuesday morning who formally charged him with drug possession and drug conspiracy and ordered he be held without pending a detention hearing.
Federal prosecutors did not charge Tamez in connection with the assault on the officers with the vehicle
At the inspection booth, a U.S. Custom and Border Protection officer used a police dog to check the vehicle—the dog alerted them to drugs inside.
Officers told Tamez to put the vehicle in park and to exit, however the man began fighting with the officers who were trying to pull him out of the SUV. During the struggle Tamez hit the accelerator and as the SUV sped off he ended up “trapping” one of the officers in the vehicle.
The SUV ended up crashing into a parked car and a concrete table in the inspection area where officers were able to arrest Tamez and the trapped officer was able to safely exit the vehicle.
Inside the Nissan Rogue, authorities ended up finding 10 small bundles that contained close to 11 kilograms or roughly 22 pounds of cocaine.
After the assault, CBP officers turned Tamez over to agents with Homeland Security Investigations who interviewed him about the case. During that interview, Tamez told the agents that he knew that he was smuggling drugs. The man also told agents that he panicked and didn’t know what to do and that is why he fought with agents and attempted to drive off.
He told agents that his family had been threatened by Mexican cartel members and that he expected to be paid $4,000 to get his load across.
Ildefonso Ortiz is an award winning journalist with Breitbart Texas you can follow him on Twitter and on Facebook.
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