CORPUS CHRISTI (Kiii News) — A 48-year-old grandmother from Corpus Christi was jailed on charges of mailing hydroponic marijuana -- something police say they have seen an increase of in the area.
The marijuana is specifically being mailed from places where it is grown and sold legally, but the U.S. Postal Service wants people to remember that mailing illegal substances is a federal crime.
"We are seeing more and more of that here in Texas," said Cmd. Todd Green of the Corpus Christi Police Departments Narcotics-Vice Investigation Division, or NVID. "And all the states that surround these states that border the states that allow it are seeing more and more of it."
Green is referring to the import of the highly potent hydroponic marijuana from states where selling pot is legal.
"Marijuana still is illegal under the Federal Controlled Substances Act and it is non mailable," U.S. Postal Inspector Kendall McDaniel said.
Police said 48-year-old Michelle Walters obtained the eight pounds of marijuana that she was busted with on Tuesday through the mail. According to the U.S. Postal Service, between 2016-17 they saw an 880-percent increase in the seizure of parcels containing illegal drugs.
"In fiscal year 17 we made 1,954 narcotics arrests and we seized 40,489 pounds of illegal narcotics," McDaniel said.
McDaniel said no matter where you are, if you try to mail illegal drugs, the package will be seized and charges will be filed.
"We will continue monitoring the mail," McDaniel said. "It is our duty to protect our mail system from being used for criminal purposes, and we always ask if anybody has any tips, please give us a call."
Those tips come with a potential reward of $50,000. The number to call is 1-877-876-2455.
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