CBP Officers Seize Almost a Ton of Marijuana at Otay Mesa Cargo Port

Tuesday, April 03, 2007

Otay Mesa, Calif. – U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at the Otay Mesa cargo port of entry seized almost 1,900 pounds of marijuana from a tractor-trailer rig that entered the port Friday evening, March 30, officials announced today.

CBP officers found 330 wrapped packages of the narcotic valued at more than $5 million hidden within the floor inside the trailer of a California-plated tractor-trailer, officials said.

Officers ordered the truck and trailer rig to the port’s intensive inspection dock for an examination after a CBP officer noted irregularities when the apparently empty conveyance was scanned with a gamma-ray system as it entered the port at about 5:20 p.m. As a standard port procedure, CBP officers utilize a gamma-ray system to scan all empty trailers as the trucks enter the port.

An examination of the trailer floor by officers revealed a non-factory compartment filled with cellophane-wrapped packages. Field tests indicated the green leafy substance inside a sample package was marijuana.

The driver, a 31-year old Mexican male, was interviewed by special agents of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and subsequently transported to the Metropolitan Correctional Center for processing.