Pine Valley, Calif. – Customs and Border Protection U.S. Border Patrol agents assigned to the Interstate 8 checkpoint near Pine Valley thwarted a narcotics smuggling attempt on November 4, resulting in the seizure of more than 1,000 pounds of marijuana.
At approximately 11 p.m., agents encountered a 55-year-old male El Salvadoran citizen driving a 2007 Freightliner tractor-trailer at the checkpoint. During the inspection, agents became suspicious of the driver’s nervous demeanor and referred him for a secondary inspection. A CBP Border Patrol K-9 team performed a cursory inspection of the vehicle resulting in an alert. Agents searched the vehicle and discovered a false wall inside of the tractor trailer. Behind the wall, agents found 47 bundles of marijuana. The bundles weighed 1,016 pounds and had an estimated street value of $1,524,000.
Border Patrol agents at the Interstate 8 checkpoint in Pine Valley discovered 47 bundles of marijuana inside a Freightliner tractor-trailer.
Border Patrol agents at the Interstate 8 checkpoint in Pine Valley discovered 47 bundles of marijuana inside a Freightliner tractor-trailer.
The suspected smuggler and narcotics were taken into custody and turned over to a multi-agency drug task force. The tractor trailer was seized by the U.S. Border Patrol.
