U.S.-Mexico Border agents discovered almost $4 million worth of cocaine stashed inside a bus in California.
On September 12, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers at the San Ysidro Port of Entry discovered 187 pounds of illicit narcotics stashed within the rear cargo area of a commercial passenger bus.
The estimated street value of the drug haul is thought to be $3,740,000.
Officers discovered the drugs after encountering a 51-year-old man driving an empty commercial passenger bus who was applying for entry into the U.S. from Mexico.
Stock image of cocaine. On September 12, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers at the San Ysidro Port of Entry discovered 187 pounds of illicit narcotics stashed within the rear cargo area of a commercial passenger bus.”
AP
Following the initial screening, CBP officers referred the driver and bus for further inspection.
Upon further examination, authorities uncovered irregularities within the rear cargo hold and discovered several packages containing cocaine.
A CBP K9 team alerted officers to the presence of the drugs within the vehicle.
Homeland Security Investigations has launched a criminal investigation, and inquiries remain ongoing.
CBP officers seized the narcotics and bus following the drug bust.
“Constant innovation is a cornerstone of CBP’s strategy to improve efficiency and security,” said Mariza Marin, port director of the San Ysidro Port of Entry. “By leveraging technology as a resource multiplier, we optimize our productivity without comprising the highest level of security. This seizure is a testament to our CBP officers’ hard work and dedication.”
The operation was part of ongoing efforts by the CBP to combat drug trafficking in the area. Operation Apollo targets the smuggling of narcotics in the country.
Cocaine worth more than $30 million was seized after U.S. Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations (AMO) intercepted a vessel off the coast of Puerto Rico in September.
Agents discovered 60 bales of cocaine, weighing 3,687 pounds, on board near the southern coast of the island of Vieques on September 4.
In another raid on the same day, CBP officers, in coordination with the Puerto Rico Police Joint Forces for Rapid Action (FURA), seized cocaine worth more than $5 million after intercepting a vessel off the coast of Puerto Rico.
Meanwhile, on the U.S.-Canada border, officers have seized over $4 million worth of cocaine hidden behind a “false wall” in a tractor-trailer.
Officers at the Blue Water Bridge port of entry in Michigan intercepted 266 pounds of cocaine on August 1.
Over 60,000 pounds of cocaine have been seized nationwide in the 2024 fiscal year, according to CBP data.
Law enforcement officials at the U.S.-Mexico border seized 24,109 pounds of cocaine overall in the Southwest border in the 2023-2024 fiscal year as of August 2024.
Almost half the cocaine seized in the U.S. entered the country through the southern border.
There were an estimated 107,543 drug overdose deaths in the U.S. in 2023, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) National Center for Health statistics.
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