Driver arrested after X-ray scan finds over 1,000 pounds of cocaine in rebar truck at Calexico
Customs officers discovered more than a ton of cocaine hidden beneath the floorboards of a rebar-laden truck at the Calexico border crossing, leading to the arrest of driver Jose Manuel Lopez Lopez.
Federal agents conducting a standard border check at Calexico used X-ray technology on a truck loaded with 269 bundles of rebar and observed anomalies in the trailer’s floorboards. A canine unit subsequently signaled the presence of contraband, prompting investigators to remove the planks and discover 366 sealed packages of cocaine totaling roughly 1,002 pounds. The haul, estimated at more than $20 million on the street, represents the second-largest cocaine seizure in the Southern District of California this year.
Driver Jose Manuel Lopez Lopez, 44, entered the United States from Mexicali and was arrested after the drugs were found. He pleaded not guilty at a federal arraignment on July 28, and a detention hearing is scheduled for August 3. Prosecutors are pursuing charges of illegal importation of cocaine, which carry a mandatory minimum of ten years in prison and a possible life sentence.
Why it matters
The case shows how ordinary freight can be used to smuggle large drug shipments, highlighting the need for thorough border inspections.
In this story