Calexico, Calif. – U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers working at the Calexico, Calif. downtown port of entry yesterday discovered almost $600,000 worth of cocaine concealed inside a vehicle.
The incident occurred at about 4:30 a.m. on Dec. 4, when a canine team screening vehicles alerted to a 2005 Ford Taurus as the driver, a 20-year-old male U.S. citizen, waited in line for inspection. Both the vehicle and driver were escorted to a secure area for a more in-depth examination.
While conducting an intensive inspection, officers discovered a specially-built metal compartment underneath the rear seat of the vehicle that concealed 23 wrapped packages of cocaine.
The total weight of the narcotics was approximately 59 pounds.
The driver, a resident of Calexico, was arrested and turned over to the custody of Homeland Security Investigations agents for further processing. He was later transported to the Imperial County Jail to await arraignment.
CBP seized the vehicle and narcotics.
