Otay Mesa, Calif. — U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at the Otay Mesa port of entry yesterday discovered $1.3 million worth of cocaine concealed in the spare tire and in the tool box of a Ford F-150 pickup truck.
On September 10, at about 5 a.m., a CBP officer and his canine were screening vehicles as the occupants waited in line for inspection, when the detector dog alerted to the spare tire of the white F-150 pickup. Officers escorted the driver, a 28-year-old male, and the vehicle for a more in-depth investigation.
Officers searched the vehicle and found 23 wrapped packages of cocaine hidden in the spare tire and an additional 20 wrapped packages in a compartment hidden within the tool box that was affixed to the bed of the truck.
CBP officers seized the cocaine, weighing almost 113 pounds, and the truck.
The driver, a U.S. citizen and resident of Tijuana, Mexico, was arrested and booked into the Metropolitan Correctional Center.
