U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) just made its second-largest methamphetamine bust in the agency’s history. Officers recently seized 3,100 pounds of meth in San Diego — worth $7.2 million.
CBP announced this week that border patrol officers seized more than 3,100 pounds of methamphetamine, fentanyl powder, fentanyl pills and heroin at the Otay Mesa commercial facility on Friday morning.
“Smugglers will try every way possible to try and get their product across the border and because of the partnership between CBP, Homeland Security investigations and DEA this significant seizure occurred and we stopped them,” said Anne Maricich, acting CBP director of field operations in San Diego. “I’m proud of the CBP officers’ dedication to our mission. They continue to stop dangerous drugs from entering our communities.”
According to CBP, the shipment coming across the border from Mexico was disguised as medical supplies. Using a device similar to an X-ray machine, officers screened the truck and found it suspicious.
After a dog alerted officers to the truck while it was parked at the dock, they offloaded the shipment — finding 1,816 packages of drugs in addition to medical supplies such as clear plastic pipette tips, spray bottles of surface decontaminate and calibrated pipette tools.
In total, officers found 3,014 pounds of methamphetamine, 64 pounds of heroin, 29 pounds of fentanyl powder, and over 36 pounds of fentanyl pills — worth about $7.2 million in all.
“This massive seizure is testament of what law enforcement agencies can do when we combine forces — prevent over $7 million worth of deadly drugs from entering our country; thus saving countless lives from addiction and overdose deaths,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge John W. Callery.
Officers arrested the driver of the truck, a 47-year-old man from Mexico. CBP said he will face criminal charges.
