CALEXICO, Calif., – U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers assigned to the Calexico West Port of Entry discovered 200 packages of methamphetamine fully concealed in a pick-up truck Thursday.
At approximately 1:43 a.m., CBP officers at the Calexico West Port of Entry encountered a 26-year-old male U.S. citizen driving a 2020 pick-up truck. The man was applying for admission into the United States from Mexico. During initial inspection, a CBP officer referred the man and his vehicle to secondary inspection for further examination.
A non-intrusive inspection was utilized to conduct a full scan of the vehicle. After examination, CBP officers observed irregularities throughout the vehicle. A Canine Enforcement Team responded to the scene and alerted to the presence of narcotics.
CBP officers discovered and extracted 200 packages from the spare tire, all four doors, tailgate, engine bay, center console, and backseat area of the vehicle. The packages weighed a total of 235.37 pounds and tested positive for methamphetamine. The estimated street value of the narcotics is $235,370.
“This smuggling attempt is a reminder that no matter how ingenious the ploy, our CBP officers remain vigilant and prevail over these dangerous and illegal actions,” stated Roque Caza, Area Port Director for Calexico.
The driver was detained and turned over to Homeland Security Investigations for further processing. CBP officers seized the vehicle and narcotics.
CBP officers at the border crossings in Southern California stop illegal activity while processing millions of legitimate travelers into the United States. Those statistics can be found on our CBP enforcement statistics page.
For breaking news, current events, and more, follow the Director of CBP’s San Diego Field Office on Twitter at @DFOSanDiegoCA.