Man arrested for attempt to smuggle meth inside vehicle

A 31-year-old Mexicali man was arrested Monday after allegedly attempting to smuggle more than 30 pounds of methamphetamine inside a vehicle while crossing the Andrade Port of Entry.

Jose L. Naranjo was taken into custody at about 5:30 p.m. Monday at the port of entry by Homeland Security Investigations agents and booked into county jail on suspicion of unlawful importation of a controlled substance, county Sheriff’s Office arrest records stated.

Naranjo was held on no bond. According to a federal court complaint, Naranjo applied for entry into the United States through the port of entry while driving a 2005 Ford F-150.

While crossing, a human and narcotics detection dog alerted to Naranjo’s vehicle. Subsequently, Naranjo and his vehicle were referred to secondary inspection, where Customs and Border Protection officers noticed what appeared to be fresh and mismatched white paint sprayed under the plastic bed liner of the vehicle.

After CBP officers removed a toolbox, which was secured to the bed of the vehicle, a non-factory compartment was discovered.

Once the non-factory compartment was opened, CBP officers discovered approximately 35 clear cellophane-wrapped packages, one of which was field tested and produced positive results for meth.

All packages were weighed for a total of approximately 37.17 pounds, the court complaint stated.