SENTRI Member Busted with 637 Pounds of Marijuana in San Diego

San Ysidro, Calif – U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers working at the San Ysidro port of entry Tuesday arrested a 25-year-old male SENTRI program participant after they discovered about 637 pounds of marijuana in the vehicle he was driving.

A Mexican citizen enrolled in the SENTRI program was arrested Tuesday after CBP police officers at the San Ysidro Port of Entry discovered 637 pounds of marijuana in his vehicle.

The man was arrested at about 10 a.m. after he entered the port through a designated SENTRI lane driving a 2010 Toyota Corolla. While the participant waited in line to be inspected, a narcotic/human detector canine team was roving the area and the K-9 alerted to the vehicle.

CBP officers opened the trunk of the Corolla and discovered 135 packages of marijuana, valued at more than $382,000. The driver was secured and escorted for further processing.

The man, a Mexican citizen and resident of Tijuana, Mexico, was transported to the Metropolitan Correctional Center to await arraignment for the alleged smuggling attempt.

CBP seized the vehicle and marijuana and revoked the man’s SENTRI pass privileges.

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.