Agents Confiscate Marijuana in Truck
Border Patrol agents confiscated more than 300 pounds of marijuana from a pickup truck that illegally crossed into the United States through a hole in a fence near the Otay Mesa border crossing. The driver of the truck fled on foot back into Mexico, an agency spokesman said.
The seizure occurred about noon Sunday, said Ted Swofford, a Border Patrol spokesman. When agents attempted to stop the gray, 1981 Ford pickup, the driver turned the truck around and tried to re-enter Mexico through the hole in the fence, Swofford said.
The truck stalled and the driver fled, Swofford said. Agents found 323 pounds of marijuana valued at $160,000 inside a plywood compartment in the bed of the abandoned truck.
The truck and the marijuana were turned over to Operation Alliance, a joint task force designed to combat drug smuggling, made up of agents from the DEA, Customs, Border Patrol, police and sheriff’s departments.
Sign up for Essential California
The most important California stories and recommendations in your inbox every morning.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
