CBP discovers migrant bolted into secret compartment

Similar bust made Monday in Calexico

SAN DIEGO, Calif. (KYMA, KSWT, KECY) - Two men are in federal custody after an unusual human smuggling attempt /

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers say on Tuesday afternoon they found a man bolted into a secret compartment beneath a car's passenger seat.

Officers say a CPB K-9 alerted them to a problem when an older man in a Ford Focus tried to drive through the port. Further inspection revealed an 18-year-old Mexican national hidden under the front passenger seat in a specially made compartment.

Officers say the hidden man was literally bolted into the compartment without the ability to free himself. CBP had to remove the seat to make the arrest.

Apparently this wasn't the man's first attempt at illegally entering the U.S. A records check showed he was deported earlier this month after trying to jump a border fence.

The 74-year-old driver will also face federal charges.

The arrest comes just one day after CBP officers in Calexico discovered a 17-year-old hidden in the dashboard of a Ford Taurus.

Pete Flores is the Director of Field Operations for CBP San Diego. Flores says, "I cannot stress enough the serious consequences that could result from putting their lives in the hands of unscrupulous smugglers, and hence dangerous compartments."

The 17-year-old Mexican national and two U.S. Citizens arrested in Monday's incident in Calexico now face federal charges.