Nearly Half Ton Of Liquid Meth Hidden Inside Truck's Fuel Tank At Otay Mesa

SAN DIEGO, CA — Authorities seized nearly half a ton of liquid methamphetamine that was concealed inside the fuel tank of a commercial tractor-trailer at the U.S.-Mexico border.

The drug seizure happened after a truck tried to enter the country around 11:20 a.m. Monday through the Otay Mesa Import Cargo Facility, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office Southern District of California.

A U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer spotted a white, crystal-like substance on top of the passenger-side fuel tank, according to the criminal complaint. Officers inspected the vehicle and found 29 buckets of liquid meth hidden inside the tank, with a total weight of 944.90 pounds.

The truck's driver, Oscar Alonzo Cesena Camacho, 26, of Tijuana, Mexico, was taken into custody. Authorities said he was entering the U.S. on a business visa.

Camacho was charged with a federal drug importation offense.