Border Officers Seize Over 3,000 Pounds Of Marijuana Hidden In Christmas Bow Cargo
OTAY MESA (CBSLA.com) — U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers recently discovered 3,370 pounds of marijuana that was hidden in a shipment of Christmas bows.
According to officials, around 3:30 p.m. Thursday, a 28-year-old Mexican citizen that was driving a 1998 Kenworth tractor entered the port of entry facility while pulling a trailer with cargo masked as bows.
The driver was referred for questioning by a border officer on duty, officials said.
During an in-depth examination, officers ran the tractor and trailer through the port's imaging system, which detected anomalies within the cargo, authorities said.
Officers reported they then inspected one of the boxes and found a "green-leafy substance" that tested positive for marijuana.
Officials extracted 209 large packages of marijuana from inside of the boxes, which is valued at $1.5 million, a press release stated.
The driver was booked at the Metropolitan Correctional Center.
Officers seized the marijuana, tractor and trailer in result of the incident.
