Contributed Photo/Courtesy U.S. Customs and Border Protection: In one of several seizures over the weekend, CBP officers found narcotics hidden in a vehicle’s spare tire.
Contributed Article/Courtesy U.S. Customs and Border Protection
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers from the San Diego Field Office demonstrated remarkable vigilance this past weekend when they seized nearly $10 million worth of dangerous drugs at the San Ysidro, Tecate, and Otay Mesa ports of entry.”The astonishing number of narcotics seized this past weekend is a testament to the tremendous efforts of our CBP officers here in the San Diego Field Office”, said Sidney Aki, CBP Director of Field Operations for San Diego. “As criminal organizations continue to evolve, CBP’s drug interdictions show that we are making headway at disrupting cross-border criminal activity.”
- Friday, Oct. 27, at the San Ysidro Port of Entry, 120 packages were extracted from the doors, quarter panels, and the front and rear seats of a vehicle. The contents of the packages were tested and identified as methamphetamine with a total weight of 131.88 pounds. The narcotics have an estimated street value of $197,820.
- Friday, Oct. 27, at the Tecate Cargo Facility, 132 packages were discovered and extracted from a shipment of decorative planters. The packages were tested and identified as marijuana with a total weight of 1,719.16 pounds. The narcotics have an estimated street value of $3,438,320.
- Friday, Oct. 27, at the Otay Mesa Port of Entry, 43 packages were discovered and extracted from the floor of a vehicle. The narcotics were tested and identified as fentanyl pills with a total weight of 39.29 pounds, and methamphetamine with a total weight of 51.81 pounds. Altogether, the narcotics have an estimated street value of $3,641,715.
- Friday, Oct. 27, at the San Ysidro Port of Entry, four packages were discovered strapped to the abdomen and lower back of a traveler. The narcotics were tested and identified as blue fentanyl pills and fentanyl powder with a total weight of 5.38 pounds and 4.67 pounds respectively. Altogether, the narcotics have an estimated street value of $541,000.
- Saturday, Oct. 28, at the Otay Mesa Port of Entry, 50 packages with a total weight of 120.99 pounds were discovered and extracted from inside the rear cargo area of a vehicle. The narcotics were tested and identified as cocaine with an estimated street value of $1,317,120.
- Saturday, Oct. 28, at the Calexico West Port of Entry, 100 packages weighing 112.48 pounds were discovered and extracted from the rear quarter panels and spare tire compartment of a vehicle. The narcotics were tested and identified as methamphetamine with an estimated street value of $168,720.
- Saturday, Oct. 28, at the Otay Mesa Port of Entry, 130 packages with a total weight of 143.78 pounds were discovered and extracted from the front and rear passenger seats, doors, dashboard, firewall, and spare tire well of a vehicle. The narcotics were tested and identified as methamphetamine with an estimated street value of $215,670.
According to the CDC, more than 150 people die every day from drug overdoses related to synthetic opioids derived from fentanyl. https://www.cdc.gov/stopoverdose/fentanyl/index.html
The total estimated street value of the narcotics seized by San Diego CBP officers over the weekend is $9,520,365 million. All smuggling suspects were turned over to the custody of Homeland Security Investigations for further investigation.
The narcotics and any associated vehicles used to smuggle the drugs were seized by CBP officers.
