Border agents uncover $20M cocaine stash hidden beneath truck floorboards in massive bust

Federal authorities uncovered much than 1,000 pounds of cocaine hidden beneath the floorboards of a commercialized motortruck entering the U.S. from Mexico, marking 1 of the largest cause busts successful Southern California this year.

The Department of Justice said the half-ton of cocaine was discovered wrong the floorboards of a commercialized motortruck and flatbed trailer astatine the Calexico Port of Entry connecting California and Mexico. Authorities estimation the cocaine has a thoroughfare worth exceeding $20 million.

The seizure marks the second-largest cocaine bust successful the Southern District of California this year, according to national prosecutors.

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Federal authorities seized much than 1,000 pounds of cocaine, valued astatine much than $20 million, during an inspection astatine the Calexico Port of Entry successful California. (Department of Justice)

Jose Manuel Lopez, 44, a Mexican nationalist and the truck's sole occupant, was arrested and charged with importing cocaine into the United States.

If convicted, Lopez faces a mandatory minimum condemnation of 10 years successful national situation and a maximum punishment of life.

In tribunal filings seeking to support Lopez successful custody, prosecutors described the seizure arsenic "a tremendous magnitude of drugs, adjacent by the standards of this district."

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Authorities removed the woody floorboards of a commercialized trailer aft discovering much than 1,000 pounds of cocaine hidden underneath, prosecutors said. (Department of Justice)

The lone larger cocaine seizure successful the Southern District of California this twelvemonth came successful May, erstwhile authorities uncovered much than a ton of cocaine worthy an estimated $45 cardinal successful transportation with a cross-border cause tunnel.

Officials said the trailer was carrying 269 bundles of rebar erstwhile U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers, moving alongside Homeland Security Investigations and the Drug Enforcement Administration, detected anomalies during an X-ray inspection.

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Federal investigators uncovered hundreds of packages of cocaine hidden beneath the floorboards of a commercialized trailer astatine the Calexico Port of Entry, prosecutors said. (Department of Justice)

After a narcotics detection canine alerted to the trailer, officers unloaded the rebar and removed the woody floorboards, wherever they discovered 366 packages of cocaine weighing much than 1,000 pounds, oregon astir 454 kilograms, prosecutors said.

Lopez pleaded not blameworthy during his archetypal quality successful national tribunal Tuesday. A detention proceeding is scheduled for Aug. 3.