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  4. CBP Officers Halt Attempt to Smuggle 680 Pounds of Marijuana in Commercial Shipment of Broccoli

CBP Officers Halt Attempt to Smuggle 680 Pounds of Marijuana in Commercial Shipment of Broccoli

Release Date
Tue, 07/22/2014

CALEXICO, Calif. — U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at the Calexico East commercial facility Friday halted an attempt to smuggle 680 pounds of marijuana within a shipment of broccoli.

Marijuana hidden inside broccoli

U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers discovered 261 wrapped bundles concealed within the boxes of broccoli stored in the trailer. The bundles field-tested positive as marijuana.

The incident occurred at about 4 p.m., on July 18, when CBP officers encountered a 2002 Kenworth tractor-trailer that entered the cargo facility carrying a manifested shipment of frozen broccoli.  Officers referred the commercial truck to the port’s inspectional dock for a more in-depth examination.

During a dockside inspection of the conveyance, and following an alert from a CBP narcotics detector dog, officers discovered 261 wrapped bundles concealed within the boxes of broccoli stored in the trailer.

The bundles field-tested positive as marijuana, valued at approximately $306,000.

The driver, a 25-year-old male Mexican citizen and resident of Mexicali, Baja California, was turned over to the custody of Homeland Security Investigation agents for further processing. 

CBP seized the marijuana, the truck and trailer.

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