Bicyclist busted with pot in tires at San Ysidro border crossing

To the uninitiated eye, the 18-year-old man with the dark mountain bike could have passed for another bicyclist crossing the busy border checkpoint at San Ysidro.

But in fact, federal authorities said, the man was allegedly involved in an unusual smuggling attempt: His tires were filled with plastic bags of marijuana.

As the man crossed the pedestrian checkpoint from Tijuana last week, customs officers felt something unusual when they squeezed the bike tires, the Department of Homeland Security said Monday.

The officers ran the bike through an X-ray machine and found packages filled with 2.5 pounds of marijuana. The drugs' value was estimated at  $1,300, the Homeland Security department said.

The biker was described as a U.S. citizen who lives in Tijuana. He was being held at San Diego county jail, the department said. His name was not released.

-- Robert J. Lopez

Photo: Bike with marijuana hidden in tires. Credit: Department of Homeland Security