Simone WilsonAt first, when they glanced at the truck bed of a 31-year-old L.A. resident yesterday, all U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at the Tijuana-California border could see was a bunch of buckets, filled with tools and painting equipment. Little did they know, the five-gallon paint buckets were cut to accommodate the arms, legs, torso and head of a Mexican citizen attempting to enter the U.S. without papers.
'Twould have been a stunning plan, if not for the alien-sniffing skills of one especially cunning police dog. The animal freaked out at the bed of the 2004 Chevy, prompting officers to smell some trouble brewin' themselves and waddle over for a closer look.
As described in the press release:
The CBP officer had the detector dog screen the bed of the truck, and the canine alerted to the buckets, at which point the CBP officer moved some tools in one of the buckets, and found a human face staring back at him.
The buckets were filled with “various painting and construction items … such as paint rollers, levels, a sander, and more.”
Both the U.S. citizen and his human cargo were arrested at the scene. Almost, guys! At least it makes a good story!
Credit: U.S. Customs and Border Protection
Credit: U.S. Customs and Border Protection
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