SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — Border officials say they seized more than $3.1 million in narcotics in two days at ports of entry in San Diego and Imperial Valley counties.
Monday, a 45-year-old Mexican citizen driving a commercial bus was stopped at the San Ysidro port of entry and underwent a secondary screening. A K9 officer detected narcotics in the vehicle's gas tank.
Officers found 229 pounds of cocaine, 23 pounds of fentanyl, and more than six pounds of heroin in the gas tank.
In a second incident, on Tuesday, agents stopped a 23-year-old U.S. citizen at the Calexico East port of entry and referred them to a secondary screening. The port's imaging system screened the vehicle and noticed an anomoly in the back seat. A K9 officer also made a positive detection.
Officers discovered 73 wrapped packages of methamphetamine hidden in the back seat, firewall, glove box, and inside vehicle panels.
Later that same day, at the Calexico West port of entry, a 35-year-old Mexican citizen was found to be smuggling narcotics in the same manner.
Imaging and a K9 officer detected narcotics, leading officers to find 50 wrapped packaged of methamphetamine inside vehicle panels.
CBP officials seized all of the narcotics, valued together at more than $3.1 million.
“Seizing these 400 plus pounds of narcotics is not only about keeping drugs out of our communities,” said Pete Flores, Director of Field Operations for CBP in San Diego. “It’s also about keeping millions of dollars in profits away from transnational criminal organizations, and preventing the ensuing crime and chaos they cause on both sides of the border."
