Marijuana Or Floor Tiles? CBP Officers Say It’s Both — Half A Ton Worth

Marijuana busts happen often. After a while, U.S. Customs officers have to keep keen eyes out for deception. In this case, cannabis was found in a most-unusual space.

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers at the World Trade Bridge at the Laredo Port of Entry, in Laredo, Texas, captured a marijuana shipment that almost got away. According to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Agency, a half-ton of marijuana was found via a second observation.

Floored: #Laredo #CBP officers at World Trade Bridge seize 1,303 lbs. of MJ in tile shipment https://t.co/UdB0SiVDbk pic.twitter.com/hsQiG3sqHa

— CBP South Texas (@CBPSouthTexas) March 31, 2016

On March 29, CBP officers scrutinized a suspicious-looking shipment inside of a 2003 Sterling tractor. The tractor contained a mixture of mud floor tiles and marijuana or “weed.” The cannabis was “comingled with the merchandise,” says the CBP source. The source also states as follows.

“During the examination, CBP officers took a closer look at the boxes of tile and discovered 144 packages containing a total of 1,303 pounds of alleged marijuana…The narcotics have an estimated street value of $260,566.”

Accordingly, Port Director Gregory Alvarez only had positive things to say about his officers during this marijuana confiscation and seizure. The director stated, after the marijuana investigation, as follows.

“Once again our CBP officers at World Trade Bridge applied their experience, targeting, training and this synergy of effort yielded a significant load of narcotics in a floor tile shipment.”

After discovering the marijuana shipment, CBP officers actually turned the case over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Since CBP surrendered the findings to ICE, there hasn’t been further information on the situation.

However, coincidentally — just a week prior — ICE “dismantled” a drug tunnel which led from Calexico, California, to Mexicali, Mexico. According to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, the marijuana tunnel discovery occurred on March 23.

Last week, ICE dismantled a drug tunnel, seizing more than a ton of marijuana. Read about this & more in the Top 5! https://t.co/bp4GlHrTg1

— ICE (@ICEgov) March 28, 2016

The source states that six suspects were arrested in connection with the drug subway. In short, the agency recovered over a ton of cannabis weed — twice as much as CBP officers turned over in the floor tile discovery. Regarding this marijuana tunnel discovery, the ICE source states as follows.

“The tunnel, more than 400 yards in length, stretches from the former El Sarape Restaurant, now a coffee shop, in Mexicali, Mexico, to a two-bedroom Calexico residence located at 902 E. Third Street, about 300 yards north of the international border. In the front room of the residence, agents found a hole concealed in the floor about three feet in diameter with an opening that descends several feet beneath the foundation.”

As far as for the marijuana seizure, the source mentions that it’s the first operational tunnel discovered from Calexico in nearly a decade. Likewise, the marijuana tunnel is the first where its owners had purposely purchased the land and built a house on top of the tunnel’s exit, as a method of concealment.

In addition to recent marijuana confiscations, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) seized $7 million worth of cannabis plants in Pueblo West. According to KKTV-11 News, the agency executed a sting operation. While finding the marijuana, DEA agents also found $250,000 in butane hash oil production equipment and ready-made weapons.

The news source states as follows.

“All suspects face charges of extraction of marijuana concentrate using an inherently hazardous substance, possession with intent to manufacture or distribute marijuana or marijuana concentrate, and cultivation of marijuana more than 30 plants.”

According to the DEA, a “Domestic Cannabis Eradication/Suppression Program” has been in effect since 1979. It notes that the DEA is aggressively attempting to stop the growth of marijuana in the United States.

While marijuana laws are strict in the United States, drug traffickers still attempt to push shipments through customs. And, just as in these marijuana confiscations, agencies make similar seizures every day.

So, all in all, what do you think about this marijuana seizure in the floor tiles — or the marijuana tunnel? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below.

[Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images Entertainment]