DPS Seizes Nearly $1 Million in Cocaine During Traffic Stop in Brooks Co. (South Texas Region)

DPS Seizes Nearly $1 Million in Cocaine During Traffic Stop in Brooks Co. (South Texas Region) Sheridan Nolen… June 30, 2026 CORPUS CHRISTI – The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) seized 30 bundles of cocaine during an Operation Lone Star traffic stop in Brooks Co. On Friday, June 26, 2026, just after 11:00 a.m., a DPS Trooper stopped a maroon Kia Sorento SUV on US 281 in Encino for a traffic violation. After obtaining verbal consent to search the vehicle, the Trooper found 30 clear plastic bundles containing cocaine in an aftermarket compartment in the vehicle's floor. The bundles were reportedly destined for Pasadena, Texas, weighed approximately 75 pounds and have a street value of $780,000. Maria Briceno, 38, of Rio Grande City, Texas, was arrested and charged with possession of a controlled substance and transported to the Brooks Co. Jail. ### (DPS – South Texas Region)