Marijuana in truck bed seized by CBP

PRESIDIO, Texas — U.S. Customs and Border Protection Office of Field Operations officers working at the Presidio port of entry seized 216 pounds of marijuana Friday morning. The drugs were concealed in a false bed of a pick-up truck.

“Using false bed compartments in pick-up trucks is commonly used by smugglers,” said Michael Neipert, CBP Presidio Port Director, “but officer experience coupled with state of the art detection equipment leads to failed smuggling attempts.”

The seizure was made just after 7 a.m. on Friday, January 25, 2019, when a male driver accompanied by a male passenger applied for entry at the primary inspection station. The two occupants were in a 2005 Ford F-150 pick-up truck. The primary officer noted inconsistencies in the driver’s travel itinerary and sent the vehicle to secondary for an intensive inspection. During secondary examination, the vehicle was sent for an x-ray exam where anomalies were seen within the bed of the truck. Drilling of the bed resulted in extraction of a green leafy substance which field tested positive for the properties of marijuana. A total of 109 bundles were extracted from the vehicle.

CBP officers took custody of the driver, a 21-year-old United States citizen and his 65-year-old Mexican citizen passenger, Both individuals were arrested and turned over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement HSI agents in connection with the failed smuggling attempt.

While anti-terrorism is the primary mission of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the inspection process at the ports of entry associated with this mission results in impressive numbers of enforcement actions in all categories.