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  4. CBP Officers Find 1,100 Pounds of Marijuana in False Wall of Trailer

CBP Officers Find 1,100 Pounds of Marijuana in False Wall of Trailer

Release Date
Fri, 07/24/2015

OTAY MESA, Calif. — U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers assigned to the Otay Mesa cargo facility Wednesday evening found about 1,102 pounds of marijuana hidden in a false wall compartment of a trailer that entered the U.S. 

Forty-five packages of marijuana hidden behind false wall of tractor trailer.

Forty-five packages of marijuana hidden behind false wall of tractor trailer.

At about 5 p.m., a 51-year-old male Mexican citizen entered the port of entry driving a 1997 Freightliner tractor pulling an empty trailer and was processed through the designated, “empty lane” that contains an imaging system and scans arriving trailers.  The CBP officer scanned the trailer and noticed anomalies within the front wall of the trailer.  

CBP officers escorted the driver and conveyance for further inspection.  A canine team screened the conveyance and the dog alerted to the trailer’s front wall.  Another CBP officer drilled into the front wall and pulled out a leafy green substance that field-tested positive for marijuana.

Officers subsequently extracted 45 large wrapped packages of marijuana with a street value of more than $600,000.

CBP officers seized the marijuana and tractor and trailer.  The driver was turned over to the custody of ICE agents for further investigation.

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