SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — Border officials seized more than 10 tons of marijuana hidden behind a cargo shipment at the Otay Mesa Port of Entry this week.
At about 9 a.m. Monday, an agent with U.S. Customs and Border Protection was inspecting a truck with a manifested shipment of "plastic garment hangers." The vehicle was referred to a secondary inspection where an x-ray machines would continue the inspection.
During the secondary inspection, officers detected an anomaly which prompted another examination this time with a canine. The canine alerted officers to the vehicle's trailer, where a search led to 858 plastic-wrapped packages stacked to the trailer's ceiling behind cargo.
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CBP officers said the packages tested positive for marijuana. There were more than 10 tons of the narcotics, worth about $8.4 million.
The driver of the truck, a 47-year-old Mexican citizen, was turned over to Homeland Security and his B1/B2 visa was canceled, CBP said. The truck, trailer, shipment, and narcotics were seized by CBP.
“The ability of CBP officers to interdict contraband at the port of entry is a perfect example of CBP’s efforts to secure our border,” Joseph Misenhelter, Officer in Charge at the Otay Mesa Port of Entry, said. “CBP officers prevented over 10 tons of marijuana from entering our community.”
