Sheriff makes their biggest drug bust of the year

Imperial County Sheriff’s Office said it is their biggest marijuana bust of the year, over 11 tons of weed.

Lieutenant Jimmy Duran said, “We’re talking about 23,000 thousand pounds of marijuana. So, there was no hidden compartment that’s going to be able to conceal that.”

Deputies working with U.S. Border Patrol, U.S. Customs and California Highway Patrol searched a truck on Thursday afternoon in Calexico.

“Ac ommercial vehicle that had suspicious pallets or suspicions cargo that didn’t check out with the manifesto, We ended up locating approximately 23,000 pounds of marijuana,” Duran said.

Theyfound large packages stacked from floor to ceiling inside thetrailer.

“Atthis point, due to the nature of the investigation, we can say that the vehicle was contacted in the Calexico area,” Duran said.

The estimated street value of the marijuana is over 18 million dollars.Observant deputies are credited with the bust.

“It’s not unusual to see these vehicles in our area going back and forth through the port of entry or even through Interstate 8, east and west.It wasn’t the vehicle that was unusual. It was the cargo that became noticed that was unusual once it was contacted by deputies,” Duran said.

He said the truck is not connected to Calexico’s legal marijuana industry.

“No,at this point I can tell you there’s no indication that this marijuana seizure is connected with any legit businesses operating in California in which they’re legally either manufacturing or transporting or selling marijuana,” Duran said.

The marijuana will be destroyed at an undisclosed location. No arrest was made. The investigation is ongoing.