San Diego CBP Officers Find 1,300 Pounds of Marijuana in Cement Fixtures, Furniture

San Diego - U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at the Otay Mesa cargo facility seized more than half a ton of marijuana Monday, after breaking apart cement fixtures to access the packages hidden inside.

Just before 5 p.m. on May 24, a driver with a truck carrying a shipment of cement tabletops, benches, and other furniture and cement decorative blocks, pillars, and tiles applied for entry into the U.S. at the Otay Mesa cargo facility.

After officers X-rayed the truck and cargo, they sent the conveyance to the dock for a more intensive examination.

A CBP officer roving the dock with her narcotic detection dog received an alert from the canine, reacting to the cement items in the truck.

Officers unloaded the shipment and drilled into one of the cement articles, discovering marijuana hidden inside.

After breaking apart various cement items from the shipment, officers found 140 packages of marijuana, weighing 1,335 pounds, with an estimated value of $667,500.

CBP officers turned over custody of the driver, a 36-year-old male Mexican citizen, to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. The driver is currently being held at the Metropolitan Correctional Center.