Border Crisis: Officers Seize more than $5 million in Narcotics at Border Crossing

OTAY MESA, Calif., – U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers at the Otay Mesa port of entry’s cargo facility seized over $5 million worth of liquid methamphetamine and cocaine concealed in two tractor trailers last week.

On Sept. 12, at approximately 8:53 p.m., CBP officers encountered a 25-year-old male Mexican citizen driving of a tractor trailer seeking entry into the United States from Mexico. During initial inspection, a CBP officer referred the driver and tractor trailer for further examination.

In the examination area, the tractor trailer was screened with non-intrusive inspection technology. The screening revealed anomalies that led CBP officers to conduct a thorough inspection of the tractor’s gas tank.

CBP officers, with the assistance of Laboratory and Scientific Services technicians, subsequently extracted a total of twenty-two five-gallon buckets of an unknown substance. The substance was tested and identified as liquid methamphetamine with a total weight of 663.15 pounds.

On September 15, at approximately 6:33 p.m., CBP officers encountered a 33-year-old male Mexican citizen driving a tractor trailer, with a shipment manifest for cucumbers. During initial inspection, a CBP officer referred the driver and tractor trailer for further examination.

During secondary inspection, CBP officers discovered 146 packages concealed within the shipment of cucumbers. The packages were tested and identified as cocaine with a total weight of 401.68 pounds.

“The impact our CBP officers have on our agency and the wider community goes far beyond the call of duty,” stated Rosa Hernandez, Otay Mesa Port Director. “This seizure is a true testament of the diligent work ethic our officers possess.”

CBP officers seized the tractors, trailers, and narcotics, while the drivers were turned over to Homeland Security Investigations for further processing. The estimated street value of the narcotics is $5,367,525.