North County Times wire services

CALEXICO - In the largest marijuana bust ever at the Calexico port of entry, about 8.85 tons of suspected pot worth an estimated $67 million was seized, federal agents reported Saturday.

The contraband was seized Friday, co-mingled with shipments of flat panel television sets, said David de la Peza of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

A tractor-trailer truck was in the Free and Secure Trade entry lane at about 4:20 p.m. when drug sniffing dogs alerted officers, de la Peza said.

Officers discovered 1,019 large packages containing 17,701 pounds of suspected pot among the TVs.

The accused smuggler is a 25-year-old Mexican and registered participant in the FAST program, he said.

FAST is an agreement between Mexico, Canada and the United States to expedite trade. "Low-risk" drivers must submit an application and agree to a security profile.

The cache and tractor-trailer were seized by federal agents, who booked the driver into the Imperial County jail.

Motel robbery suspects sought

North County Times wire services

SAN YSIDRO - Investigators were on the lookout Saturday for two men in their 20s who robbed a Super 8 Motel off Interstate 5 near the international boundary.

A clerk who was working at the motel told authorities that two robbers entered the hotel on Calle Primera at 6:36 p.m. and demanded money. They walked behind the counter and removed two cash drawers before fleeing the area.

No weapons were seen.

The robbers were described as Latino males in their 20s, 5-feet 10-inches tall wearing dark, hooded sweat shirts and baggy jeans.

Police chase leads to suicide

North County Times wire services

SAN DIEGO - Police chased a carjacked sedan into a Claremont Mesa neighborhood Saturday, and were chasing the car thief amongst houses when the man shot himself to death in a backyard.

San Diego Police said a shotgun-wielding man and an accomplice stole a black 2007 Chrysler 300 at gunpoint at about midnight Saturday in the 6200 block of Beadnell Way. One man, armed with a shotgun, demanded the keys and threatened to kidnap the owner before stealing the car.

About 45 minutes later, the men were spotted by police in the stolen Chrysler as it entered the Cabrillo (163) Freeway northbound at Friars Road . After a short pursuit, the car exited at Genesee Avenue, turned west and then turned left onto the first residential street west of the freeway.

After making another left turn onto Judson Street, the passenger bailed out of the moving vehicle, carrying the shotgun. He ran into the backyard of a house, where he shot himself in the head, authorities said. He was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver was taken into custody.