CRIME
CBP Finds Nearly 50 Pounds Of Meth Hidden In Ice Chest Full Of Fish
U.S. Customs and Border Protection
Nearly 50 pounds of methamphetamine was found hidden inside an ice chest full of fish and seized by U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers from the San Diego Field Office in California over the weekend, the agency said Wednesday.
On Sunday at around 8:39 p.m., CBP officers at the Calexico West Port of Entry encountered a 34-year-old man driving a 2021 sedan through the vehicle SENTRI lane. SENTRI stands for Secure Electronic Network for Travelers Rapid Inspection, which allows expedited entry for pre-approved, low-risk travelers, typically used people who frequently cross the border, often for work.
After the initial inspection of the vehicle, officers referred the driver to a secondary inspection area for further examination. The port’s imaging system detected irregularities in an ice chest in the vehicle’s trunk. CBP K-9 team was called, and the dog alerted to narcotics.
Officer found 25 packages in the ice chest, and they were found to contain a total of 47.13 pounds of methamphetamine.
The vehicle and the drugs were seized by CBP officers, and the driver was turned over to Homeland Security Investigations.
“Drug traffickers will go to great lengths in attempt to deceive our officers,” Roque Caza, Calexico Area Port Director, said in a statement. “Im proud of our highly trained officers working diligently every day to combat these dangerous drugs that have claimed so many lives.”
TMX contributed to this article.
