CBP officers stop two local drug smuggling attempts

U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers working at the Andrade and Calexico East ports of entry intercepted a cocaine and a methamphetamine smuggling attempt.

CBP said the first seizure happened Tuesday at 3:30 p.m., at the Andrade port of entry, when a CBP officer encountered a 31-year-old man from the U.S. driving a black 2016 Nissan Altima. During the inspection, the officer said they detected anomalies to the spare tire and decided to escort both the driver and the vehicle for further examination.

CBP officers conducted an intensive inspection on the vehicle and found 14 wrapped packages of cocaine hidden inside the spare tire. The weight of the narcotics was 35 pounds with a street value of approximately $525,000.

The driver, a resident of Yuma, Ariz. was arrested for the alleged narcotic smuggling attempt.

The second seizure happened later that day, at about 7:40 p.m., at the Calexico East port when an officer encountered a 31-year-old man from the U.S. and a 26-year-old woman from Mexico in a black 2000 Ford Expedition. The officer referred them and the vehicle for a more in-depth examination.

During the intensive inspection, officers utilized the port’s imaging system and a canine team. They found 14 wrapped packages of methamphetamine concealed inside the spare tire of the vehicle. The weight of the narcotics was 41 pounds with a street value of approximately $57,400.

The driver, a resident of Indio, Calif., and the passenger, a lawful permanent resident of the U.S., were arrested for the alleged narcotic smuggling attempt.

Both drivers and passenger were turned over to the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents for further processing and were later transported to the Imperial County Jail where they currently await arraignment.

CBP seized the narcotics and vehicles.