United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials in Southern California seized nearly $1 million worth of methamphetamine concealed in furniture cabinets.
CBP officers at Calexico East Commercial Facility intercepted 515.74 pounds of meth hidden in a box truck carrying a shipment of wooden furniture.
The 29-year-old male suspect transporting the shipment was applying for admission into the United States from Mexico when he was caught. According to the CBP, the estimated street value of the drugs is $928,000.00.
The driver, a valid visa holder, was referred to a secondary inspection along with the box truck for further examination.
During secondary inspection, non-intrusive scanning technology was used to perform a thorough scan of the truck. Irregularities in the furniture were detected, which led to the discovery of false cabinet compartments.
Officers removed the panels from several furniture pieces to discover dozens of packages of methamphetamine.
Law enforcement uncovered 49 packages when they examined the false compartments. The packages subsequently tested positive for methamphetamine
This discovery was made during an examination of a commercial truck attempting to cross the U.S.-Mexico border at Calexico in southern Imperial County, California.
Concealed contraband within the structure of wooden furniture cabinets is a common tactic that is often used by drug traffickers to evade detection and smuggle narcotics into the United States.
“I am extremely proud of our officers’ relentless efforts to protect our nation’s borders, even during blazing temperatures,” stated Roque Caza, Port Director for the Area Port of Calexico.
“Their tenacity to remain vigilant and prevent dangerous drugs from reaching our communities encapsulates their remarkable dedication and commitment to duty.”
Officers seized the narcotics and box truck, while the suspect remains in the custody of Homeland Security Investigations as they continue their investigation.
This seizure is part of Operation Apollo, to prevent the shipments of illegal drugs from entering the United States. The counter-fentanyl effort has been ongoing since October 2023, in southern California, and expanded to Arizona in April 2024.
Law enforcement officials focus on gathering intelligence for Operation Apollo and pool together resources alongside federal, state, and local partners to prevent fentanyl from being brought into the United States.
There is an ongoing fentanyl crisis in the U.S. as more than 150 Americans each day – around 55,000 annually – die from overdoses related to synthetic opioids like fentanyl, according to data gathered by the CDC,
Angela Me, Chief of the Research and Trend Analysis Branch at the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) told Newsweek: “Opioids remain the most harmful in terms of overdoses and death.
“There is a problem in the US now people look for fentanyl. Fentanyl has started to get into the market because fentanyl gives you a kick that other drugs cannot give you, and so users become dependent on the substance.”
