An official website of the United States government

Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock ( ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

  • Archived Content
    In an effort to keep CBP.gov current, the archive contains content from a previous administration or is otherwise outdated.
  1. Home
  2. Newsroom
  3. Local Media Release
  4. CBP Officers Discover Man Hidden in Duffle Bag

CBP Officers Discover Man Hidden in Duffle Bag

Release Date
Sat, 10/02/2010

San Diego - U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at the port of Otay Mesa, Calif. early this morning foiled an attempt to smuggle a man in a duffle bag.

At 1:30 a.m., a CBP officer inspected a tan 1999 Chevy Blazer and referred the vehicle and driver, a 47-year-old U.S. citizen female from Compton, Calif., for further inspection.

When the officers conducted a more in-depth inspection of the SUV, they noticed a big duffle bag in the cargo area; they opened the bag and found an illegal alien hidden within. The illegal alien, a 39-year-old male Mexican citizen who measured 5-feet 10-inches tall, was stuffed into a collapsible duffle bag about half his size.

CBP officers arrested the driver and she is awaiting arraignment at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in San Diego.

CBP officers paroled the illegal alien into the U.S. as a material witness. He will be returned to Mexico at the conclusion of the criminal proceedings.

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 the official ports of entry. CBP is charged with keeping terrorists and terrorist weapons out of the country while enforcing hundreds of U.S. laws.
Last Modified: Feb 03, 2021