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  4. CBP Officers in Calexico Seize Almost 500 Pounds of Cocaine

CBP Officers in Calexico Seize Almost 500 Pounds of Cocaine

Release Date
Thu, 10/29/2020

CALEXICO, Calif.  — U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at the Calexico Port of Entry seized approximately 480 pounds of cocaine valued at approximately $7.6 million in a single seizure.

On Thursday, at approximately 8 a.m., a 46-year-old driver of a 2008 Ford F350 pick-up truck allegedly attempted to smuggle cocaine concealed in the auxiliary fuel tank located on the bed of the truck.  The CBP officer referred the driver and vehicle for further examination due to inconsistencies with the driver’s story.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at the Calexico Port of Entry seized approximately 480 pounds of cocaine.As the truck drove through the x-ray imaging system, the operator identified anomalies in the bed area of the vehicle.

CBP officers screened the vehicle with a K-9 and the detector dog alerted to the non-factory auxiliary fuel tank located on the bed of the truck.  CBP officers searched the vehicle and discovered 182 packages of cocaine weighing 480 pounds hidden in a special compartment inside the non-factory auxiliary fuel tank of the vehicle.

CBP officers immediately arrested the subject and turned him over to Homeland Security Investigations for further disposition.  CBP officers seized the vehicle and narcotics.

The driver, a U.S. Citizen, was transported and booked into GEO Federal Detention Facility in El Centro, California.

Criminal charges are merely allegations. Defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.

CBP officers at the border crossings in Southern California stop illegal activity while processing millions of legitimate travelers into the United States.  

U.S. Customs and Border Protection is the unified border agency within the Department of Homeland Security charged with the management, control and protection of our nation's borders at and between official ports of entry. CBP is charged with securing the borders of the United States while enforcing hundreds of laws and facilitating lawful trade and travel.

Last Modified: Feb 03, 2021