Mexican Drug Smugglers Hiding Drugs In Consumer Electronics Exports To USA

There’s an amazing article posted recently on the Wall Street Journal about how companies are having a difficult time with drug smugglers hiding drugs in their exports to the United States. “In an era of open trade, customs officials encourage exporters to beef up internal security measures to earn the privilege of fast transit through border checkpoints. Thousands of manufacturers, shippers and cargo expediters have been certified under a number of U.S. government programs that designate compliance. The unintended result of that compliance: Those same exporters are increasingly likely to be targeted by smugglers, who look to piggyback their contraband on legal cargo that makes low-friction border crossings, according to law enforcement officials.

Sony confirmed to the WSJ it lost one shipment of 102 large LCD television sets from a Tijuana plant in September, and thwarted another attempted hijacking in mid-December. Samsung also lost at least one truckload this year, but refuses to discuss details of the crime. The scenario of a truck hijacking is straight from a movie – the drivers are roughed up and the truck (without cargo) is found elsewhere days, even weeks later.

A year ago, a ton and a half of marijuana entered Sharp Electronics Co.’s television assembly plant in Rosarito, a suburb of Tijuana, through a Mexican supplier delivering components, and then was transferred to an outbound trailer of widescreen TVs, according to one person familiar with the case. The drugs were detected before the trailer left the plant, according to the company. Company officials declined to offer other details, but said no Sharp employee was implicated.”

Read more of this incredible article at the WSJ.