Feds Seize $2.7 Million Worth Of Cocaine Concealed In Secret Compartments Of Bus And Semi

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U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers have been keeping busy with two recent drug seizures netting them around $2.7 million worth of cocaine.

First, CBP officers at the Otay Mesa Commercial Facility in Calif. seized over a million dollars’ worth of cocaine in one bust.

The seizure took place after CBP officers flagged a 34-year-old man driving a commercial tractor-trailer and empty flatbed applying for entry from Mexico into the United States.

It was then that a CBP K9 unit inspected the semi and flatbed trailer and alerted officers to the presence of narcotics.

Using non-intrusive inspection technology to screen the truck, CBP officers were able to locate some anomalies in the fifth wheel area of the tractor-trailer.

It was there that they discovered 65 packages of cocaine weighing a total of 167.11 pounds with an estimated street value of $1.27 million.

Meanwhile, over in San Ysidro, Calif., CBP officers at that Port of Entry intercepted approximately 187 pounds of cocaine concealed within the rear cargo area of a commercial passenger bus.

That seizure occurred after CBP officers referred a 51-year-old man driving an empty commercial passenger bus who was applying for admission into the United States from Mexico for secondary inspection.

It was during that inspection that a non-intrusive scan revealed irregularities in the bus’s rear cargo hold area. A CBP K9 team also alerted the officers to the potential presence of narcotics.

Inside a non-factory compartment located in the side walls of the bus, CBP officers found 70 packages of cocaine weighing 187.92 pounds with a street value of approximately $1.43 million.

“Constant innovation is a cornerstone of CBP’s strategy to improve efficiency and security,” said Mariza Marin, Port Director of the San Ysidro Port of Entry. “By leveraging technology as a resource multiplier, we optimize our productivity without comprising the highest level of security. This seizure is a testament to our CBP officers’ hard work and dedication.”