OTAY MESA, Calif., – U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at the Otay Mesa port of entry’s cargo facility seized over $5 million worth of marijuana concealed in a tractor trailer on Friday.
On Sept. 22, at approximately 2:52 p.m., CBP officers encountered a 46-year-old male Mexican citizen driving a tractor-trailer, with a shipment manifest for abrasive cutting wheels. During initial inspection, a CBP officer referred the driver and tractor trailer for further examination.
In the examination area, the tractor trailer was screened with non-intrusive inspection technology. The screening revealed anomalies that led CBP officers to conduct a thorough inspection of the tractor’s commodities.
CBP officers discovered and extracted 102 packages concealed within the shipment of abrasive cutting wheels. The packages were tested and identified as marijuana with a total weight of 2,573.38 pounds.
“Even though we’ve noticed a decrease in the smuggling of marijuana, it remains illegal,” stated Rosa Hernandez, Otay Mesa Port Director. “This seizure highlights the constant evolving nature of the drug challenges our officers encounter daily.”
CBP officers seized the narcotics, while the driver was turned over to Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) for further processing. The estimated street value of the narcotics is $5,146,760.