Federal authorities in El Paso say they've seized 524 pounds of marijuana worth about $420,000 in four separate busts at the El Paso port of entry.
The largest of the seizures Wednesday was a 280-pound load of highly compressed marijuana hidden in an exterior toolbox on a pickup truck.
When an electronic scanning device found discrepancies in the appearance of the toolbox and fuel tank, the box was opened. Inside, Customs and Border Protection officers found 11 smaller steel boxes that were cut open. The marijuana was inside the containers.
The driver, 24-year-old Alejandro Rodriguez Torres, of Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, is facing charges for the failed smuggling attempt. He was held without bond Thursday in the El Paso County Jail.
Copyright 2013 The Associated Press.