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  4. Imperial Valley CBP Officers Intercepted 53 Lbs. of Cocaine and 49 Lbs. of Meth over the Labor Day Weekend

Imperial Valley CBP Officers Intercepted 53 Lbs. of Cocaine and 49 Lbs. of Meth over the Labor Day Weekend

Release Date
Wed, 09/06/2017

IMPERIAL VALLEY, Calif. - U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at the Imperial Valley ports of entry intercepted two significant narcotic smuggling attempts, 53 pounds of cocaine at the Andrade port of entry, and 49 pounds of methamphetamine at the Calexico West port of entry, over the Labor Day weekend.

The first seizure occurred on Saturday, Sept. 2, at about 3:28 p.m. at the Andrade port of entry when a CBP canine team encountered a 66-year old man driving a white Ford F-150 pick-up truck waiting in line for inspection. The detector dog screened the truck and alerted to the spare tire.  The driver and truck were referred for further examination. 

CBP officers searched the truck and extracted 20 wrapped packages hidden inside the spare tire.  The packages field-tested positive for cocaine and weighed a total of 53 pounds, with a street value of approximately $672,000.

The second seizure occurred on Monday, September 4, at about 9:30 p.m., at the Calexico downtown port of entry when a CBP officer encountered a 32-year old male Mexican citizen driving a Gray Nissan Versa.  The officer referred the driver and vehicle for a more in-depth examination.

During the inspection, officers utilized the port’s imaging system and a canine team, and discovered 17 wrapped packages concealed inside a non-factory compartment within the vehicle’s floor. The packages field-tested positive for methamphetamine. The total weight of the narcotic was 49 pounds with a street value of approximately $69,000.

Both drivers, residents of California, were arrested for the alleged narcotic smuggling attempts and were turned over to the custody of HSI agents for further processing.

CBP seized the narcotics and vehicles.

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