Marijuana Laws, Legalization & News: Border Patrol Seizes 15 Tons of Marijuana at San Diego Crossing
The Border Patrol seized more than 15 tons of marijuana at a San Diego crossing point last week.
The seizure is the largest for the crossing point and the second largest in the border patrol's history.
The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) at the Otay Mesa cargo port seized around 31,598 pounds of marijuana found inside a truck driven by a Mexican national, according to the CBP's press release.
The seizure took place on Feb. 26 at around 6 p.m. local time. The truck was labeled as carrying mattresses and pillows and, though some mattresses were found inside, officials also discovered 1,296 packages containing the marijuana.
Officials were alerted to the drugs after an x-ray examination. The scan "identified an anomaly" and the officials "sent the truck and shipment to the dock for a more intensive examination."
When officials opened the truck's hold, they discovered the hundreds of plastic-wrapped packages stacked up to the roof of the container.
"I am extremely proud of the work my officers do. Officers never give up their enforcement posture and demonstrate each and every day that they remain guardians of our nation," said Otay Mesa Cargo Port Director Rosa Hernandez.
With a street value of around $18.96 million, this is the largest seizure at the crossing. The second largest was around 19,999 pounds back in 2003.
That same week, CBP officials at the Rio Grande crossing point in Texas, according to KHOU. Officials seized around 1,900 pounds worth $1.5 million in three separate seizures, the largest of which amounted to 1,266 pounds of cannabis.
Drugs smugglers have been coming up with different ways to smuggle drugs across the border. Although driving across the border with drugs may be foolhardy, other smugglers have resorted to more creative solutions.
In Arizona, police discovered an underground tunnel that was 905 feet long to smuggle drugs, according to Yahoo! News.
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