Authorities Seize Over 1,000 Pounds of Cocaine at Calexico Port of Entry

Federal authorities seized more than 1,000 pounds of cocaine hidden beneath the floorboards of a commercial truck entering the U.S. from Mexico. The Department of Justice reported that the cocaine, valued at over $20 million, was found at the Calexico Port of Entry in Southern California. This seizure is noted as the second-largest cocaine bust in the Southern District of California this year. Jose Manuel Lopez, a 44-year-old Mexican national and the truck's sole occupant, was arrested and charged with importing cocaine into the United States. If convicted, he faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and a maximum of life in prison. Prosecutors described the seizure as significant, and a detention hearing for Lopez is scheduled for August 3. The only larger seizure this year occurred in May, involving over a ton of cocaine linked to a drug tunnel. The cocaine was discovered after U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers, along with Homeland Security Investigations and the Drug Enforcement Administration, detected anomalies during an X-ray inspection of the trailer, which was carrying rebar.