Drugs Valued At $300,000 Seized At Border

SAN DIEGO, CA — U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at the San Ysidro and Calexico East Ports of Entry disrupted two drug-smuggling attempts, seizing more than 130 pounds of fentanyl, cocaine, and methamphetamine with an estimated street value of $383,091, officials announced Monday.

The first seizure occurred at the San Ysidro Port of Entry on May 17, when a CBP canine team alerted to a 2013 Honda Civic driven by a 30-year-old female Mexican national.

"In the secondary inspection area, an imaging system revealed anomalies in the vehicle's firewall. A physical inspection revealed six packages containing approximately 7.89 pounds of white fentanyl powder with an estimated street value of $113,616 and 8.42 pounds of cocaine worth an estimated $161,664," according to a CBP statement.

"Later that day at the Calexico East Port of Entry, officers referred a 30-year-old male U.S. citizen driving a 2011 Nissan Cube for a secondary inspection. A non-intrusive imaging system scan revealed anomalies in the vehicle's floor."

Officers discovered a non-factory compartment containing 63 packages of methamphetamine weighing approximately 119.79 pounds, with an estimated street value of $107,811, officials said.

"Sunday may be a day of rest for many, but criminals don't take days off, and neither do our CBP officers," San Diego Director of Field Operations, Sidney K. Aki, said in a statement. "Our officers remain vigilant around the clock, and these significant seizures are a direct result of their commitment to keeping dangerous drugs like these from entering our country."

CBP seized the narcotics and vehicles and arrested the drivers, who face federal prosecution for alleged narcotics importation.

— City News Service