CBP officers seize pot hidden inside pickup’s bed, rear walls
Customs and Border Protection officers working at the Paso Del Norte port of entery seized 310 pounds of marijuana Saturday.
Federal officials said the pot, with an estimated street value of $248,000, were hidden in the bed, rear wall and door of a pick-up truck.
“This smuggler used almost every square inch of space he could in an attempt to transport a large drug load into the country,” said Beverly Good, CBP El Paso Port Director. “The thorough inspections CBP officers perform prevented this load from reaching its final destination.”
The seizure was made just before noon July 22 when a 2000 GMC Sierra arrived at the international crossing from Mexico.
A CBP officer noted an issue with the back wall of the pick-up and referred the vehicle for a secondary exam, where a drug sniffing dog alerted to the presence of drugs.
Officials said an x-ray scan led officers to the bundles of marijuana beneath the bed liner of the truck as well as in one door and along the rear wall of the cab interior.
CBP officers took custody of the driver, a 41-year-old citizen of Mexico, and turned him over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement HSI agents to face charges associated with the failed drug smuggling attempt.
