Mexican man allegedly tried to smuggle cocaine with wife, child in truck

A man from Chihuahua City is accused trying smuggle a load of cocaine while his wife and 5-year-old child were riding with him in a pickup.

Customs officers at the Santa Teresa port of entry chose the 38-year-old Mexican for a secondary inspection after they said they spotted anomalies in the back seat Saturday. Officers found a hidden “non-factory” compartment in the truck allegedly stuffed with three bricks of cocaine weighing a total of 8.5 pounds.

The unidentified man was turned over to ICE agents.

The child and the wife, who was only described as a 29-year-old Mexican woman from Chihuahua City, were processed and returned to Mexico.

“This is an unfortunate trend in that the smuggler was traveling with his wife and young child in the vehicle in an apparent effort to deflect attention away from the drug smuggling attempt,” CBP Santa Teresa Port Director Ray Provencio said in a news release. “Smugglers will occasionally attempt to blend in with legitimate travelers by using family members to help mask their true intent.”