SAN DIEGO — On July 1, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at the San Ysidro Port of Entry seized over 40 pounds of cocaine concealed in a vehicle, with an estimated street value of $775,296.
The incident occurred when a white Toyota Rav4 arrived at the port of entry. While conducting pre-primary roving operations, a CBP canine partner alerted officers to the vehicle waiting in line.
The officer instructed the driver, a 24-year-old male U.S. citizen, to open the trunk. The canine entered the trunk and alerted officers to the rear seat area. During a physical inspection, officers discovered brick-shaped packages wrapped in black tape. Officers referred the vehicle to a secondary inspection area for a nonintrusive imaging scan, which revealed additional anomalies in the seats.
Officers extracted 10 packages from the rear cargo area and five from the front seats. Testing confirmed the 15 packages contained cocaine weighing approximately 40.38 pounds.
“This significant seizure is a direct result of our layered enforcement strategy in action,” said San Ysidro Port Director Mariza Marin. “By combining tactical roving operations and highly trained canine teams with nonintrusive imaging technology, our officers successfully intercepted these dangerous narcotics before they could reach our communities.”
CBP seized the cocaine, vehicle and one cellphone. Officers arrested the driver and turned him over to Homeland Security Investigations for further processing.
Under the leadership of President Donald J. Trump and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, CBP officers along the southwest border stop illegal activity, including the smuggling of drugs and humans, and facilitate lawful entry for millions of legitimate travelers into the United States. Since President Trump took office, CBP has seized 83,854 pounds of cocaine through March 31, 2026.
