CPB finds over 350 lbs. of marijuana hidden in frame of flatbed trailer
U.S. Customs and Border Protection Office of Field Operations officers working at the Santa Teresa commercial facility seized 352 pounds of marijuana earlier this week hidden in the frame of a flatbed trailer making entry from Mexico.
CBP officers initiated the seizure just after 3 p.m. Tuesday, when a tractor-trailer arrived for inspection through the cargo lanes. The CBP officer at the primary inspection booth noticed irregularities during the initial encounter and referred the vehicle for an intensive inspection. CBP officers in the secondary examination area used various tools to confirm the presence of narcotics. The inspection included an X-ray scan and a screening by a drug-sniffing dog. CBP officers removed 130 marijuana-filled bundles from beams that are a part of the trailer.
“Although anti-terrorism is our primary mission, we remain vigilant to ensure commercial entries are safe and that cargo and conveyances are free of contraband,” said CBP Santa Teresa Port Director Fernando Thome. “I commend the attentiveness of the CBP officers for finding narcotics in what was manifested as an empty trailer.”
There is information available on the driver. The case is still under investigation, according to CPB officials.
