SAN DIEGO – U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers working at the Otay Mesa cargo facility Thursday discovered more than seven tons of marijuana in a commercial truck with cargo manifested as furniture.
“My officers are out there rain or shine to disrupt illicit activity,” said Otay Mesa cargo Port Director, Rosa Hernandez. “This seizure demonstrates that and their commitment to keeping our community safe from dangerous contraband.”
On April 28, at about 9:40 a.m., a 47-year-old male Mexican citizen driving a 1994 Freightliner pulling a trailer entered the port of entry for inspection. The CBP officer referred the driver and conveyance for a more in-depth examination.
Officers ran the truck through the port’s imaging system which revealed anomalies with the shipment. Officers inspected the shipment, they opened the trailer and discovered boxes stacked throughout. When the officers began to open the boxes they discovered large wrapped packages that field-tested positive for marijuana.
CBP officers extracted 587 packages of marijuana from the trailer, weighing 14,219 pounds with a street value of $7.1 million.
The driver was turned over to the custody of Homeland Security Investigations agents for further processing.
