SAN DIEGO (CNS) - Border Patrol officers intercepted eight different cocaine smuggling attempts at the Otay Mesa Port of Entry this month, preventing more than 240 pounds of the drug from entering the country, the agency announced.
The first three seizures occurred March 4 at around 2 p.m., when an empty commercial tractor-trailer driven by a 31-year-old man was referred to secondary inspection, where a K-9 unit alerted officers to a non-factory compartment in the cabin floor, according to the agency.
Officers said they discovered and extracted 18 packages of cocaine weighing almost 47 pounds.
Then at around 3 p.m., a 39-year-old man driving an empty commercial tractor-trailer applied for entry into the country. Officers referred the driver and tractor-trailer for additional inspection, and a K-9 alert allegedly led to the discovery of a non-factory compartment in the cabin floor, where officers extracted 24 packages of cocaine weighing around 61 pounds, according to Monday's statement from U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
Ten minutes later, a 52-year-old man driving a third empty tractor- trailer attempted to cross customs and was directed to secondary inspection, where a K-9 alert prompted a more thorough search. Officers allegedly uncovered a non-factory compartment beneath the cabin floor containing 25 packages of cocaine weighing over 63 pounds.
The next day, officers intercepted five additional cocaine smuggling attempts between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m., the agency said.
At around 3 p.m., two separate commercial tractor-trailers were referred for secondary inspection. Through "non-intrusive imaging technology," passenger-side floors of both tractor-trailers revealed suspicious compartments, the agency said. A K-9 inspection allegedly led officers to discover non-factory compartments containing 12 packages of cocaine weighing almost 31 pounds.
At 3:10 p.m., a 52-year-old man behind the wheel of an empty commercial tractor-trailer applied for entry through the border. After the vehicle was referred for secondary inspection, a K-9 alert led officers to uncover a non-factory compartment in the cabin floor, where they allegedly discovered six packages of cocaine weighing over 15 pounds.
At around 3:45 p.m., officers encountered a 43-year-old man driving an empty commercial tractor-trailer. An additional K-9 search led to the discovery of seven packages of cocaine hidden in a non-factory compartment in the cabin floor weighing over 16 pounds, the agency said.
At 4:30 p.m., the final seizure occurred when officers stopped a 38- year-old man also operating an empty commercial tractor-trailer. A secondary inspection led to the discovery of six packages of cocaine hidden in a non- factory compartment within the cabin floor weighing over 15 pounds, authorities said.
"These seizures are a testament to the exceptional training, skills, and dedication of our officers in their commitment to safeguarding our borders and protecting the American public," Port Director of Otay Mesa Rosa Hernandez said. "Within just two days, their vigilance and expertise resulted in eight significant cocaine seizures. I am incredibly proud of their relentless efforts to prevent dangerous narcotics from entering our communities."
All suspects were turned over to the custody of Homeland Security Investigations for further processing. The narcotics and commercial tractor- trailers were seized by border patrol officers.
Copyright 2025, City News Service, Inc.
