Border Patrol chief says agents made thousands of apprehensions, nabbing drugs and criminals over weekend

Border Patrol agents had a busy weekend as they seized hundreds of pounds of illegal drugs and thousands of apprehensions, officials said Monday. 

Raul Oritz, chief of the U.S. Border Patrol, said his agents made a number of seizures in the past 72 hours, including 13,200 apprehensions, the arrests of four sex offenders, “2 murders” and 1 gang member. 

Also caught a convicted felon and there were two unspecified rescues. Agents also found 111 pounds of methamphetamine, 99 pounds of fentanyl and 28.6 pounds of cocaine, Ortiz said. 

Much of the fentanyl smuggled into the United States comes from Mexico, manufactured from chemicals that originate from China, officials have said. 

“Amazing work this weekend!” he tweeted with three images of the drugs taken. 

Last week, Ortiz testified before the House Homeland Security Committee where he disagreed with President Biden’s call to stop border wall construction, said there were policies in place that were holding agents back from doing their job, and backed agents who had falsely been accused of whipping Haitian migrants.