Border Crossing Closed by Bomb Found in Car

The U.S.-Mexico border was shut down for 40 minutes Tuesday evening at San Ysidro Port of Entry when a U.S. Customs agent discovered a bomb in the trunk of a car entering the United States, said Bobbie Cassidy, U.S. Customs spokeswoman.

During a routine check, a customs agent asked the driver of a car to open the trunk and she saw an incendiary device at 6:20 p.m., Cassidy said. As quickly as possible, the car was isolated and the surrounding lanes were closed, she said.

The San Diego Fire Department’s arson strike team were summoned to handle the device, which was described as a military training device.

Although the border was not officially closed, Tijuana police rerouted traffic to Otay Mesa and for 40 minutes no cars passed from Mexico into the U.S. At 7:50, the traffic in the 24 lanes was restored to normal, Cassidy said.

The driver of the 1973 Mercury was turned over to the San Diego police, who are investigating the incident, she said. It was not known Tuesday night why the driver had the explosive device in his car.

“We followed the procedures to protect the safety of the public,” Cassidy said. “For us, this was not an everyday event.”