-from imperialvalleynews.com-

San Ysidro, California - United States Customs and Border Protection officers conducting anti-terror inspections over the holiday weekend at the San Ysidro and Otay Mesa ports of entry made 27 drug busts seizing 1,674 pounds of narcotics within 72 hours, officials announced.

The largest marijuana seizure occurred on Saturday, October 12, at about 11:30 p.m.; CBP officers encountered a 22-year-old U.S. citizen as she waited for inspection at the San Ysidro border station driving a 1999 Ford Ranger pickup truck. Officers became suspicious after a density meter gave an abnormal reading when used on one of the vehicle’s tire.

Officers escorted the vehicle and two occupants to the secondary lot for further inspection where they discovered 84 wrapped packages of marijuana weighing 172 pounds, hidden in the four tires of the Ranger.

The driver was arrested and transported to Las Colinas Detention Facility. The marijuana and vehicle were seized by CBP.

CBP officers stopped an interesting smuggling attempt on Monday, October 13, at about 6:30 p.m., after a 15-year-old male U.S. citizen entered the port as a pedestrian, with two packages of marijuana strapped to his waist. The officer noticed a bulge and discovered the marijuana on his person.

The juvenile was arrested and transported to juvenile hall. The marijuana, about three pounds, was seized by CBP.

Officers at the Otay Mesa border station seized 7.5 pounds of cocaine and 3 pounds of methamphetamine from a 38-year-old Tijuana man on Sunday, October 12, at about 7:30 a.m. after he entered the port from Mexico driving a 1998 Toyota Tacoma pickup truck. The officer became suspicious and escorted the vehicle for a more in-depth inspection.

During the secondary inspection, a Human-Narcotic Detection Canine alerted to the odor of narcotics coming from the passenger side rear speaker area. Officers subsequently extracted two packages of cocaine and two packages of methamphetamine.

The driver was arrested and transported to the Metropolitan Correctional Center. The vehicle and narcotics were seized by CBP.

Six of the remaining 24 narcotic seizures were discovered with marijuana strapped to the bodies of pedestrian and vehicle passengers after they entered the port of entry. The remaining 18 seizures of narcotics were found hidden in various locations within vehicles such as the gas tank, tires, bumper and dashboard.