Drone Smuggling Scheme Busted By Border Patrol

SAN DIEGO, CA – A man was arrested last week after attempting to use a drone to smuggle $46,000 worth of meth over the U.S.-Mexico border, U.S. Border Patrol officials announced Friday.

An agent saw a remote-controlled drone flying over the border at 11:25 p.m. Aug. 8, about two miles west of the San Ysidro Port of Entry, said Mary Beth Caston of the U.S. Border Patrol. About 15 minutes later, another agent in an all-terrain vehicle spotted a man carrying a large bag near the border at Servano Avenue and Valentino Street. Agents found 13.44 pounds of meth inside the bag.

The 25-year-old man was arrested, Caston said. Agents discovered the drone underneath a bush.

"Due to the agents' heightened vigilance, this drone smuggling scheme was stopped before these dangerous narcotics could enter our communities," said Acting Assistant Chief Patrol Agent Boone Smith.

Photos via U.S. Border Patrol