OTAY MESA, Calif. — U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers working at the Otay Mesa commercial facility Tuesday thwarted an illegal entry attempt after discovering an undocumented man hiding inside a commercial shipment of paper scrap.
The incident occurred shortly after 7 a.m. on Oct. 21, when CBP officers encountered a tractor pulling a trailer that entered the commercial facility carrying a shipment of paper scrap, and referred the conveyance for further examination.
Officers utilized the port’s imaging system and discovered anomalies within the bundles of paper scrap stored on the trailer. Officers searched the shipment and discovered a man hiding inside.
Officers extracted the man, a 33-year-old Mexican citizen, from the trailer and escorted him to a secure location for further processing. The undocumented man was placed in expedited removal proceedings from the United States.