January 26, 10

NEWS / CBP Officers in California Seize 708 Pound Marijuana Load Concealed in Fish Shipment

Otay Mesa, Calif., - U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at the Otay Mesa cargo facility discovered 708 pounds of marijuana commingled with a load of fish.

Officers intercepted the marijuana smuggling attempt when a 34-year-old Ensenada man driving a 1992 Bobtail truck, entered the port for inspection with a cargo of fish. The primary officer decided the truck required an intensive examination and referred it to the port’s X-ray imaging system.


The X-ray image showed anomalies with the shipment so it was sent to the dock for offloading. Officers probed one of the containers and extracted a green leafy substance that field-tested positive for marijuana. They subsequently removed 29 wrapped packages, valued at $424,565.


The driver was arrested was booked into the Metropolitan Correctional Center to await arraignment for the failed smuggling attempt. CBP seized the marijuana and conveyance.

http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/newsroom/news_releases/01222010_6.xml