Nearly half a million in pot hidden inside propane tank, officials say

Customs and Border Protection officers working at the Santa Teresa port of entry seized 610 pounds of marijuana late valued at $488,000, federal officials said.

The seizure was made late Tuesday afternoon when a tractor-trailer entered the commercial area of the port from Mexico.

An X-ray image taken during a secondary examination revealed an anomaly within a propane gas tank. An officer drilled the suspicious location and recovered a substance which tested positive for marijuana.

CBP officials did not say whether the driver of the vehicle was charged.

In addition to the Santa Teresa cargo seizure, CBP officers working at the El Paso port of entry made six additional marijuana busts Tuesday confiscating 448 pounds of the drug.