Calexico, Calif. - U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers working at the Calexico cargo port of entry yesterday discovered 783 pounds of marijuana in a false front wall compartment of a refrigerated trailer pulled by a 2000 Freightliner tractor.
The driver, a 53-year-old male Mexican citizen from Mexicali, and the tractor and trailer entered the port for inspection at about 10:30 a.m. with cargo manifested as coriander, beets, and spinach. During the inspection, a CBP officer noticed discrepancies with the cargo and referred the conveyance and driver for an in-depth examination.
Officers scanned the tractor and trailer with the port's gamma-ray imaging system which revealed anomalies within the front wall of the refrigerated trailer. Upon a closer look at the trailer, officers discovered a false front wall. They drilled a hole though the front wall and extracted a green leafy substance that field-tested positive for marijuana.
Officers subsequently extracted 43 large wrapped packages of marijuana, valued at almost $356,000, from the false wall compartment.
CBP seized the conveyance and marijuana. The driver was arrested and transported to the Imperial County Jail.