WASHINGTON: A 22-year-old Odessa man was arrested last week and turned over to federal authorities in his suspected role in trying to smuggle 72 pounds of marijuana inside the spare tire of a Chevrolet Silverado truck at the Presidio Port of Entry.
The suspect, whose was name was not disclosed, was arrested on a charge of narcotics smuggling following a seizure of the illegal drug at about 3:30 p.m. Friday from a 2010 Chevrolet Silverado pickup, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials reported.
CBP officers referred the vehicle to a secondary area at the Port of Entry where it was scanned with an X-ray device. That device showed irregularities in the spare tire. A drug sniffing dog searched the truck and alerted agents to the odor of narcotics, CBP authorities reported.
Seventy bundles contained a substance that field-tested positive for marijuana, CBP stated. “Smuggling contraband in the spare tire of a vehicle is a common tactic used by smugglers,” said Steven Green, acting Presidio Port Director. “Our layered inspectional process is geared to interdict such attempts.”
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