LAREDO, Tex. (KGNS) - Two deaths due to overdoses were reported on Saturday, April 8. That raises the number of fatal overdoses in Laredo to 18 for the year.

A 35-year-old woman and a 25-year-old man both lost their lives in separate incidents.

In 2022, the Laredo Police Department saw 40 fatalities due to drug overdoses. Police are reminding the community that there is help out there, for people struggling with substance abuse, from local organizations like SCAN and Pillar as well as the upcoming detox center. Officer Jose Espinoza said, ”The detox center at the health department is going to be a great help for those individuals that are struggling with substance abuse. We definitely want to stop the increase of overdose deaths.”

The police department has recently said they are seeing a lot of cases of drugs laced with fentanyl. Fentanyl is the leading killer of Americans between the ages of 18-45. In 2022, more than 2,000 lives were lost to fentanyl in Texas. According to provisional data from the Texas Department of State Health Services, Texas has experienced a 500% increase in fentanyl-related deaths since 2019.

LAREDO, TX. (KGNS) - U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers arrest a man with an outstanding warrant for indecency with a child over the weekend.

The incident happened on Friday, April 7 when officers at the Colombia Solidarity Bridge referred a passenger of a vehicle to secondary inspection.

Officers say the man was identified as a Jose Cruz Contreras, 71, a U.S. Citizen.

Record checks revealed that Contreras had an outstanding warrant for indecency with a child through sexual contact from the Dallas County Sheriff’s Office.

Contreras was arrested and turned over to the Webb County Sheriff’s Office.

LAREDO, TX. (KGNS) - U.S. Customs and Border Protection executed two cocaine seizures at the SENTRI lane of Bridge One last week.

Both seizures happened on Thursday, when CBP Officers referred two vehicles to secondary inspection.

Upon further examination, CBP Officers discovered six packages containing a total of 13.84 pounds of cocaine hidden within Easter boxes in the vehicle.

A few hours later, at the same bridge, CBP referred another passenger vehicle for secondary examination. And found six packages of cocaine hidden within the vehicle, these were also hidden within easter boxes.

The narcotics from both seizures had a combined estimated street value of $372,659.

LAREDO, TX. (KGNS) - A gang member with an extensive criminal history is arrested in Laredo.

On Tuesday Border Patrol agents arrested several people near the Rio Grande.

Record checks revealed Julian Duarte-Cazares as a Mexican Mafia Gang member.

The 44-year-old Mexican National has a criminal history including aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, robbery, and several immigration violations.

He is being held for processing for felony re-entry.

LAREDO, TX. (KGNS) - A group of illegal crossers flee and leave behind more than $200,000 worth of drugs.

The incident happened on Wednesday when Border Patrol agents saw several people crossing the Rio Grande into the U.S.

When agents spotted them, they fled back across the river towards Mexico abandoning four bundles in the process.

Agents confiscated the bundles to the Laredo north station for testing and confirmed they contained marijuana weighing roughly 300 pounds.

The drugs have an estimated street value of over $230,000.