Customs agents seize over 1,000 pounds of cocaine hidden in truck floorboards
Federal officers discovered more than a half-ton of cocaine concealed beneath a commercial truck’s floorboards at the Calexico border crossing, arresting the driver.
Customs officers conducting an X-ray scan of a commercial truck entering the United States from Mexico flagged irregularities, prompting a follow-up inspection at the Calexico Port of Entry. After a narcotics detection dog signaled the trailer, agents removed rebar cargo and lifted the wooden floorboards, revealing 366 sealed packages of cocaine totaling more than 1,000 pounds, an estimated street value exceeding $20 million.
The seizure ranks as the second-largest cocaine bust in the Southern District of California for 2026, following a May tunnel-related haul of over a ton. Jose Manuel Lopez, 44, a Mexican citizen who was alone in the vehicle, was arrested and charged with importing cocaine, facing a mandatory minimum of ten years and up to life imprisonment. He pleaded not guilty at his initial court appearance, with a detention hearing scheduled for August 3. Prosecutors highlighted the magnitude of the seizure in filings seeking to keep Lopez detained.
Why it matters
The bust disrupts a major drug trafficking route and underscores border enforcement efforts against large-scale narcotics smuggling.
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