CBP: 239 pounds of marijuana found in empty railroad car

Officers at the Calexico downtown port of entry seized 239 pounds of marijuana concealed inside an empty railroad car Tuesday, according to US Customs and Border Protection.

CBP said t he incident occurred shortly before 7:30 a.m. when a train entered the border crossing and passed through the port’s imaging system. CBP officers noticed an anomaly in the railroad car and selected the railcar for further inspection.

A CBP officer with a human-narcotic detector dog screened the railroad car, and the canine alerted to the railcar hopper.

Officers found 48 wrapped packages of marijuana hidden in a non-factory compartment within the main beam of the railroad car.

According to CBP, the weight of the narcotics was 239 pounds of marijuana with an estimated street value of $597,500.

CBP seized the narcotics.