Officers with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) recently seized more than 3,000 pounds of drugs in what has been called the second largest drug bust in agency history.
The drug bust occurred just before 10 a.m. on October 9 at the Otay Mesa cargo facility in San Diego, California.
CBP says that a truck entered the facility from Mexico with a manifest indicating that it was hauling medical supplies.
The truck was referred for a secondary inspection using a canine unit and an imaging system similar to an x-ray.
After the canine unit alerted to the shipment in the truck, officers unloaded the shipment and discovered 1,816 packages co-mingled with the medical supplies that primarily contained clear plastic pipette tips, spray bottles of surface decontaminate and calibrated pipette tools.
CBP says that the packages contained 3,014 pounds of methamphetamine, 64 pounds of heroin, 29 pounds of fentanyl powder, and almost 37 pounds of fentanyl pills, worth an estimated $7.2 million.
The 47 year old truck driver, who is a Mexican citizen, was arrested and handed into the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations and the Drug Enforcement Administration. CBP says he will be charged.
CBP says that this was the the second largest methamphetamine bust along the southwest border in the history of the agency, based on information developed by DEA, working jointly with HSI.
“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. “DEA cherishes our great law enforcement partners in San Diego, especially those who work tirelessly to protect our nation’s borders. We will continue to work together to disrupt drug trafficking organizations at every opportunity we are given.”
“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.”