4 Charged After One Of The Largest Meth Seizures In San Diego County

SAN DIEGO, CA — Four men were charged Friday with federal drug trafficking counts in connection with one of the largest methamphetamine seizures in San Diego County, the U.S. Attorney's Office announced.

Agents spotted the men unloading dozens of cardboard boxes from a 20-foot box truck and loading them into a Dodge van Thursday in National City, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office. Milo, a K9 certified in narcotics detection, ran around the vehicles and detected narcotics at the rear bumper of the box truck.

The boxes contained 148 bundles of a substance that field tested positive for meth, officials said. The drugs weighed more than 5,000 pounds.

"This is a significant accomplishment by our law enforcement partners," said U.S. Attorney Randy Grossman. "Due to stellar work by law enforcement agents, the government stopped more than 5,000 pounds of methamphetamine from being distributed on our streets."

Rafael Alzua, 37, Mario Contreras, 41, Ethgar Velazquez, 44, and Galdrino Contreras, 41, all of whom are Tijuana residents, were arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to distribute meth, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

"This monumental seizure represents another win against drug cartels that fuel addiction in the United States," DEA Special Agent in Charge Shelly S. Howe said. "Because of our great partnerships with other law enforcement agencies, we will continue to disrupt the cartels' flow of drugs into our cities."