Customs and Border Protection officers uncovered nearly 9,000 pounds of marijuana packed inside two cargo trucks that had attempted to pass through a checkpoint on the border of Tijuana, Mexico and San Diego, Calif., last Friday, according to a statement issued Tuesday evening. The seized drugs have a street value of more than $4.3 million.
Around 4 p.m. on Jan. 27, a truck pulled into the Otay Mesa cargo port of entry and was pushed through to the center’s imaging center for processing of what the driver said were cardboard boxes onboard. A scan revealed anomalies in the cargo truck.
Officers inspected the truck and found 39 large cellophane-wrapped packages of marijuana. A total of 523 pounds of pot was seized. Officials estimated the drugs have a street value of more than $261,000. The truck and pot were both seized.
Two and a half hours later, a second truck arrived at the same processing center with a shipment the driver claimed was “organic sugar confectionery.” A scan of the cargo truck in the port’s imaging system revealed items inconsistent with the description.
Inspection of the vehicle found 350 packages of marijuana, wrapped in cellophane like the previous drug bust. Approximately $4.1 million of pot – weighing in at 8,400 pounds – was found inside.
