The U.S. Department of Defense has taken over the investigation into stolen border wall materials from an industrial site in Pharr.

Nearly $1 million worth of the stolen materials were found on a private property in Weslaco earlier this month.

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Before the case was handed off to the feds, Pharr police said some of the material had been used to build "patio-type structures" in a backyard. 

When reached out to for comment, the federal department said it doesn't comment on ongoing investigations.