CBP Officers Thwart 6 Marijuana Smuggling Efforts in a Day

Friday, August 08, 2008

San Diego – U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers had their hands full on Wednesday, August 6, after they seized a total of 720 pounds of marijuana concealed in six vehicles that entered the United States from Mexico at the Otay Mesa, Calif. passenger port of entry.

CBP officers became suspicious after a 60-year-old male U.S. citizen driver arrived at the port at 4:15 a.m. exhibiting signs of nervousness. After a human/narcotics detection dog alerted to his California-plated Dodge Ram and officers obtained unusual readings of the vehicle roof with a density measuring tool, the driver was referred to the secondary inspection lot. CBP officers subsequently removed 54 packages of marijuana that were hidden in the vehicle’s roof. The packages had a combined weight of 245 lbs and were valued at over $110,000.

At approximately 12:15 p.m., a 29-year-old Mexican male applied for admission at the port driving a Mitsubishi pickup. CBP officers noticed an anomaly within the bench seating on the driver’s side. Upon further inspection, CBP officers noticed a compartment underneath the driver’s seat. A total of 42 packages of marijuana weighing about 109 pounds and valued at $49,000 were found in the compartment.

About two hours later, a 2005 Ibiza driven by a 20-year old Mexican male was referred to the secondary inspection lot where CBP officers removed about 96 pounds of marijuana valued at $43,200 from the vehicle quarter panels.

CBP officers noticed the tampered back bumper of a 1994 Honda Civic when it entered the port around 4 p.m. driven by a 21-year old Mexican male. Once in the secondary inspection lot, officers discovered about 63 pounds of marijuana valued at over $28,000.

At 4:35 p.m. a roving CBP officer approached a black GMC Sierra entering the port driven by a 20-year old Mexican male. The officer noticed a non-factory compartment within the floor of the vehicle so it was taken to the secondary inspection lot where 86 pounds of marijuana valued at almost $39,000 were found hidden within the compartment.

Later that evening, a 21-year old female U.S. citizen was detained after CBP officers found 121 pounds of marijuana valued at almost $55,000 hidden in the back rest and seat of a California-plated 1996 Dodge Intrepid after it entered the port around 9:30 p.m. Officers became suspicious after a human/narcotics detector dog of a roving canine team had alerted to the vehicle as it waited in line in the pre-primary area of the port.