CBP U.S. Border Patrol Seizes $2.3M in Marijuana in Calif.

Jamul, Calif. – Yesterday, U.S. Border Patrol agents assigned to the State Route 94 checkpoint near Jamul arrested two Mexican nationals attempting to smuggle more than 3,900 pounds of marijuana hidden inside a semi-trailer truck.

At approximately 12:40 p.m., a 36-year-old male driver and a 44-year-old male passenger arrived at the SR-94 checkpoint driving a 2005 Freightliner semi-trailer truck. During inspection, Border Patrol agents questioned the driver as to his citizenship and requested to inspect the contents of his truck. A Border Patrol K-9 team was requested and performed a cursory inspection of the truck’s exterior and positively alerted to the front end of the truck. Agents referred the driver and truck for secondary inspection. 

Upon further examination, the Border Patrol K-9 team pinpointed his alert to the interior of the trailer, where agents discovered large cellophane-wrapped bundles stacked inside numerous cardboard boxes.

Agents located a total of 175 bundles of marijuana weighing over of 3,900 lbs and valued at more than $2.3 million.

The suspected smugglers and the illicit drugs were taken into custody and subsequently turned over to the Drug Enforcement Administration for further investigation. The semi-trailer truck was seized by the U.S. Border Patrol.

The U.S. Border Patrol makes use of enforcement assets such as canines to enhance detection capabilities in an effort to prevent illicit smuggling of humans, drugs and other contraband. The San Diego sector Border Patrol’s strategy is to disrupt, dismantle, and defeat targeted transnational threats operating along major corridors of egress away from our nation’s borders. Since Oct. 1, 2010, San Diego sector agents have seized over 50,000 pounds of marijuana with an estimated street value of $30 million.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection is the unified border agency within the Department of Homeland Security charged with the management, control and protection of our nation's borders at and between the official ports of entry. CBP is charged with keeping terrorists and terrorist weapons out of the country while enforcing hundreds of U.S. laws.