U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at the Otay Mesa Commercial Facility seized over 3,000 pounds of methamphetamine with an estimated street value of $4,924,960, concealed within a cargo trailer. The shipment manifest had listed the commodity as corrugated cardboard boxes.
On April 14, CBP officers referred a 2017 Freightliner Cascadia tractor, its trailer, and the 31-year-old male Mexican citizen driver for secondary inspection.
A nonintrusive inspection revealed anomalies within the trailer’s front wall, and a CBP canine alerted officers to the same area. A physical inspection uncovered 300 packages containing a crystal-like substance wrapped in clear plastic. The packages tested positive for methamphetamine, totaling 3,078.10 pounds.
“Our CBP officers at ports of entry are unwavering guardians,” said Otay Mesa Port Director Rosa E. Hernandez. “Their diligence prevented illegal narcotics from entering our country, so our communities are kept safe from dangerous drugs.”