CBP officers at the Otay Mesa Commercial Facility confiscated more than a million dollars’ worth of cocaine in a single enforcement operation.
The seizure happened on Tuesday, September 10, at around 12:40 p.m., when CBP officials stopped a 34-year-old male driving a commercial tractor-trailer and an empty flatbed attempting to enter the United States from Mexico. A CBP K9 unit performed a brief search of the truck, alerting officials to the presence of narcotics. Officials referred the driver, a legitimate border crossing card holder, for additional inspection, along with the tractor-trailer and empty flatbed.
In the secondary screening section, CBP officials used nonintrusive inspection technologies to screen the truck and detect irregularities. After checking the tractor-trailer’s fifth wheel compartment, CBP inspectors identified and retrieved 65 parcels. Analysts analyzed the contents of the shipments and identified them as cocaine, totaling 167.11 pounds with an estimated street value of $1,270,000.00.
“Today, CBP officers demonstrated their unwavering commitment to securing our borders by seizing 167 pounds of cocaine cleverly hidden within the fifth wheel area of a flatbed truck,” said Rosa E. Hernandez, Port Director for the region Port of Otay Mesa. “This huge interdiction demonstrates our officers’ unwavering dedication and awareness in defending our communities from the plague of illegal drugs. Our commitment to enforcing the law and preserving the protection of the American people is unwavering.”
CBP authorities seized the narcotics and a commercial tractor-trailer. Homeland Security Investigations took over the driver for further examination.
