Border Officers Seize More Than Half a Million Dollars of Meth

SAN DIEGO – U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at the Calexico East Port of Entry, intercepted over half a million dollars’ worth of methamphetamine.

On May 11, at approximately 3:24 p.m., a 19-year-old driver applied for admission into the United States from Mexico, driving a 2015 black Nissan Versa.

The CBP officer completing his inspection for entry to the U.S. noticed tampering on the carpeting of the floor of the vehicle, as well as bolts on the seat frame.

The officer referred the car and driver aside for a more intensive inspection.  A CBP officer with a human/narcotic detector dog screened the vehicle, and the dog alerted.  After the canine alerted, an officer drove the vehicle through a machine, similar to an x-ray, that revealed anomalies in the vehicle’s floors, seats and rear quarter panels.

CBP officers searched the vehicle and found 35 packages of methamphetamine concealed in the floor, firewall and rear quarter panel, weighing a total of 262.09 pounds.

The narcotics have an estimated street value of $576,598.

“Our CBP officers are trained to skillfully detect anything out of the ordinary,” said Anne Maricich, CBP Deputy Director of Field Operations in San Diego. “This seizure is another great example of how our officers are experts at utilizing their expert knowledge to keep drugs off our streets.”

The narcotics and vehicle were seized by Calexico CBP officers.

The driver, a valid B1/B2 border crossing card holder, was turned over to the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).