CALEXICO, Calif. – U.S. Customs and Border Protection says a pick-up truck “jam-packed to the brim” with hidden methamphetamine was stopped Friday.
Officers assigned to the Calexico West port of entry encountered a 26-year old man — a U.S. citizen — driving a 2020 pick-up truck around 1:43 A.M. CBP says the man was applying for admission into the U.S. from Mexico.
During initial inspection, a CBP officer referred the man and his vehicle to secondary inspection for further examination. At that point, CBP says officers observed irregularities throughout the vehicle. A K9 Enforcement Team then responded and alerted to the presence of narcotics, officials explained.
CBP says officers discovered and extracted 200 packages from the spare tire, all four doors, tailgate, engine bay, center console, and backseat area of the vehicle. The packages tested positive for methamphetamine.
The estimated street value of the narcotics is $235,370 and the weight was 235.37 pounds, according to CBP.
A drug smuggling attempt was thwarted at the Calexico West port of entry Friday, Aug, 11, 2023, said CBP. (Credit: CBP) 
A drug smuggling attempt was thwarted at the Calexico West port of entry Friday, Aug, 11, 2023, said CBP. (Credit: CBP) 
A drug smuggling attempt was thwarted at the Calexico West port of entry Friday, Aug, 11, 2023, said CBP. (Credit: CBP) 
A drug smuggling attempt was thwarted at the Calexico West port of entry Friday, Aug, 11, 2023, said CBP. (Credit: CBP)
“This smuggling attempt is a reminder that no matter how ingenious the ploy, our CBP officers remain vigilant and prevail over these dangerous and illegal actions,” stated Roque Caza, area port director for Calexico.
The driver was detained and turned over to Homeland Security Investigations for further processing. CBP officers seized the vehicle and narcotics.
