$8 million load of marijuana seized in Calexico

A routine search of a trailer passing through a commercial inspection station this week in Calexico, Calif. uncovered 11,000 pounds of marijuana, California Highway Patrol announced Thursday.

The street value of the drug shipment is estimated at $8 million, according to CHP.

"That's the largest one that I'm aware," said Sgt. Mark Kirchhof of the CHP's Calexico inspection station. "I don't know if it's the largest for Customs but ... around the highway patrol that's the largest one I've ever been around."

According to CHP, a 2001 Freightliner tractor pulling a 53-foot box trailer attempted to pass through CHP's Calexico Inspection Facility Tuesday afternoon. It had just entered the United States via the east port of entry.

CHP officials said the trailer, owned by Swift Transportation, was supposed to be carrying water heaters. However, during the routine commercial inspection an officer became suspicious that drugs might be concealed at the rear of the trailer.

The Calexico Police Department was called, with their drug-detection canine, which immediately noted the presence of drugs at the rear doors.

When the doors were open numerous large boxes containing multiple packages of marijuana were discovered on top of the water heaters. When the truck was unloaded a total of 100 large cardboard boxes and 600 packages were discovered, totaling 11,000 pounds of marijuana.

"The whole top half of the trailer was filled with boxes of packaged marijuana," Kirchhof said.

Due to what CHP officials describe as "the enormous size of the load," the case was referred to the California Department of Justice, Bureau of Narcotics Enforcement, who took possession of the marijuana and the truck.

The driver, Ricardo Torres Villa, 28 of Mexicali, Baja California, Mexico, was subsequently booked into the Imperial County Jail for possession of marijuana and transportation for sales, both felonies.

---
Sun staff writer Sarah Reynolds contributed to this report. She can be reached at sreynolds@yumasun.com or (928) 539-6847.