Federal Officers Seize Over 1,000 Pounds of Cocaine Hidden in Commercial Truck Floorboards at Calexico Port of Entry
Federal authorities recovered more than 1,000 pounds of cocaine concealed beneath the floorboards of a commercial truck and attached flatbed trailer during an inspection at California’s Calexico Port of Entry. The seizure, valued at more than $20 million, marks the second-largest cocaine recovery in the Southern District of California this year.
Customs and Border Protection officers conducted an X-ray scan of the flatbed trailer as part of a routine inspection. The scan revealed anomalies in the trailer’s wooden floorboards. A drug-sniffing dog subsequently alerted officers to the presence of narcotics. Investigators removed the trailer’s load of 269 bundles of rebar before lifting the floor planks to access the hidden compartment.
Inside the compartment, officers recovered 366 packages of cocaine. The truck’s sole occupant, Jose Manuel Lopez, a 44-year-old Mexican national, was arrested and charged with importing cocaine into the United States. The charge carries a possible life sentence. Lopez entered a not guilty plea during his initial court appearance.
This seizure follows a larger operation in May that resulted in the recovery of more than a ton of cocaine valued at approximately $45 million. That investigation began with a months-long inquiry into a suspected retail store near Otay Mesa. Agents subsequently discovered a 1,933-foot cross-border tunnel extending from Tijuana to the business. The tunnel reached a depth of 55 feet and featured reinforced walls, rails, ventilation, and electrical systems.
The Calexico Port of Entry serves as a primary commercial crossing between California and Mexico. Routine inspections at the facility include X-ray imaging and canine detection to identify concealed contraband in commercial shipments.