see also: in January 2009:   CBP Officers Discover 957 Pounds of Marijuana in Concrete Pipes   CBP Canine Detects $600,000 Worth of Marijuana at Douglas Port   CBP Officers Seize $80,000 of Marijuana at Naco Port of Entry   Border Patrol Stops Vehicle, Leads to Meth Seizure   CBP Officers at Hidalgo/Reynosa International Bridge Seize Fake $20’s Found during Outbound Inspection   Border Patrol Agents Rescue Woman Injured in Car Accident   U.S. Customs and Border Protection Officers Arrest Wanted Sex Offender ...more on cbp.gov:   CBP News Releases   Press Officers

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Calexico, Calif. – U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at the Calexico downtown port of entry intercepted four narcotic smuggling attempts over a three day period preventing a total of 267 pounds of cocaine and methamphetamine from entering the United States, officials announced today.

The total value of the seized narcotics is estimated at more than $2 million.

The most recent interception occurred at about 9:15 a.m. on Tuesday, when a tan 1999 Toyota Camry with California plates was escorted to the vehicle secondary examination area after a detector dog alerted to the vehicle during a pre-primary enforcement operation.

During the secondary examination, CBP officers conducted an intensive inspection that led them to the discovery of a non-factory compartment located underneath the spare tire wheel well. A total of 35 wrapped packages of cocaine were extracted weighing 91 pounds. The street value of the narcotic is $728,000.

The driver, a 22-year-old male U.S. citizen and Brawley resident, was arrested for the alleged smuggling attempt. The narcotics and vehicle were seized by CBP.

The second interception occurred at about 10:30 a.m. on Sunday, when a white 2006 Honda Accord with Baja California plates was escorted to the vehicle secondary examination area after a detector dog alerted to the vehicle during a pre-primary enforcement operation.

Further inspection of the vehicle led to the discovery of 20 wrapped packages of cocaine concealed inside the vehicle’s gas tank. The weight of the narcotic was 56 pounds with a street value of over $448,000.

The driver, a 38-year-old female Mexican citizen, and passenger, a 33-year-old female Mexican citizen, were arrested for the alleged narcotics smuggling attempt. The narcotics and vehicle were seized.

Earlier that day at about 3:30 a.m., a 22-year-old male U.S. citizen driving a grey 2002 Dodge Ram with California plates was referred to the vehicle secondary examination area after a detector dog alerted to the vehicle during a pre-primary enforcement operation.

During the secondary inspection, an intensive examination revealed 25 wrapped packages of methamphetamine concealed in a non-factory compartment inside the vehicle’s dashboard area. The total weight of the narcotic was 38 pounds with a street value of over $408,500. The narcotics and vehicle were seized by CBP.

The driver, a resident of Indio, Calif., was placed under arrest for the alleged smuggling attempt.

The fourth seizure occurred at about 8:30 p.m., on Saturday, when a black 2003 GMC Yukon with California plates was referred to the vehicle secondary examination area after the primary officer noticed anomalies to the vehicle’s gas tank.

Further inspection of the tank led to the discovery of 34 vacuum sealed cocaine packages inside the gas tank. The total weight of the narcotic was 82 pounds with a street value of over $656,000.

The driver, a 38-year-old female U.S. citizen and resident of Brawley, was arrested and transported to the Imperial County Jail. Both the narcotics and vehicle were seized by CBP.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection is the unified border agency within the Department of Homeland Security charged with the management, control and protection of our nation's borders at and between the official ports of entry. CBP is charged with keeping terrorists and terrorist weapons out of the country while enforcing hundreds of U.S. laws.