TECATE, Calif., — CBP officers assigned to the Tecate Port of Entry made a significant discovery when more than 1,500 pounds of narcotics were seized in three separate smuggling attempts.
The first incident occurred on Tuesday, February 11, at the Tecate Port of Entry when CBP officers encountered a 72-year-old male driving a red SUV seeking entry into the United States from Mexico. After initial inspection, CBP officers referred the driver and vehicle for further examination.
In secondary, the vehicle was screened using non-intrusive inspection technology, revealing anomalies. A CBP K-9 team conducted a cursory inspection of the vehicle and alerted officers to the presence of narcotics.
CBP officers extracted a total of 100 packages concealed within the vehicle’s doors, fenders and spare tire. The contents of the packages were tested and identified as methamphetamine with a total weight of 302 pounds.
The second incident occurred on Thursday, February 13, at the Tecate Cargo Facility, when CBP officers encountered a 30-year-old male driving a black tractor-trailer seeking entry into the United States from Mexico. After initial inspection, CBP officers referred the driver and vehicle for further examination.
In the secondary inspection area, CBP officers utilized non-intrusive inspection technology to screen the tractor-trailer, revealing anomalies. CBP officers conducted a physical examination of the tractor-trailer and discovered 65 packages hidden within the flatbed of the trailer.
A total of 770 pounds of narcotics were extracted. 37 packages tested positive for methamphetamine weighing 697 lbs. and 28 packages field tested positive for cocaine weighing a total of 73 pounds.
The final incident to close out the week, occurred on Monday, February 17th, when CBP officers at Tecate’s commercial facility referred a white tractor-trailer for a non-intrusive inspection. During the secondary inspection, officers received a positive K-9 alert. Further examination of the tractor-trailer resulted in the discovery of 38 packages that were removed from the floor of the flatbed trailer. The contents of the packages weighed in at 437 lbs. and tested positive for methamphetamine.
“All CBP components are vital assets to our counternarcotics operations and provide proficient layers of enforcement,” said Rosa E. Hernandez, Port Director of the Otay Mesa and Tecate Ports of Entry. “Our staff is dedicated to the mission and will continue to protect our communities and stop the growth of transnational criminal organizations by applying officer’s skills and tools in our layered enforcement approach.”
Suspects involved in the incidents were arrested and turned over to Homeland Security Investigations for further investigation. The narcotics and vehicles were seized by CBP officers.
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