Over $4 million worth of cocaine was seized at the U.S.-Mexico border last week after U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers found the drugs hidden in a shipment of decorative stones in Tecate, officials said.
The shipment of 57 cellophane wrapped packages of cocaine was discovered about 10:30 p.m. Jan. 11 at the Tecate Cargo Facility, CBP officers said in a press release Wednesday.
Officers said the drugs were found on a tractor-trailer driven by a 36-year-old man who said he was transporting the decorative stones.
A CBP officer, during an initial inspection of the vehicle, randomly offloaded one of the stones and found it had an anomaly, officials said.
“The packages of cocaine were concealed within a plaster-like material designed to appear like stones,” the press release read. “CBP officers extracted approximately 256 pounds of cocaine worth an estimated street value of about $4.1 million.”
CBP officers seized the narcotics, tractor and trailer, officials said. The driver was detained on suspicion of attempting to smuggle drugs.
Authorities turned the driver, a Mexican citizen, over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
“It is evident from the immense efforts to conceal these narcotics that our officers are effective in the jobs that they do,” Jennifer De La O, director of field operations for the San Diego office, said in a statement. “The men and women of CBP are relentlessly working together to stop the negative impacts that narcotics have in the communities.”
CBP officials seized over 9,500 pounds of cocaine during the first two months of fiscal year 2023, according to the agency’s website.