U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers have intercepted nearly half a ton of methamphetamine concealed inside the walls of a trailer in Calexico.
A total of 30 packages of methamphetamine, weighing 866.50 pounds, were removed by CBP officers. The methamphetamine has an estimated street value of $1.56 million.
The incident occurred Tuesday at approximately 7 p.m., when officers encountered the driver of a 2013 Kenworth tractor-trailer entering the Calexico East Commercial Facility.
A CBP officer conducting the inspection at the booth referred the driver to the dock for further examination. Officers used the port’s imaging system to screen the vehicle and observed anomalies within the front wall of the trailer.
A canine team offered a positive alert before officers discovered the wrapped packages of methamphetamine hidden inside the wall.
The driver, a Mexican citizen and resident of Mexicali, Baja California, was arrested for alleged narcotic smuggling. CBP officers turned the driver, 27, over to the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Homeland Security Investigations.
CBP seized the narcotics, tractor and trailer.