Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers uncovered a massive haul of methamphetamine worth $3.2 million hidden in a tractor-trailer at the Tijuana-San Diego border crossing into the U.S.
On October 3, CBP officers discovered 2,600 pounds of the illicit drug, concealed in the trailer’s floor frame, during a routine inspection at the Otay Mesa Commercial Facility.
The estimated street value of the drugs is thought to be $3.2 million, and is one of several large hauls recovered in recent months as border agents fight to stem the flow of drugs into the U.S.
A 40-year-old driver was taken into custody, suspected of attempting to smuggle the drugs into the United States from Mexico. The commercial tractor-trailer appeared to be empty.
Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers uncovered a massive drug haul worth $3.2 million of methamphetamine hidden within the floor of a tractor-trailer at the Otay Mesa Commercial Facility in California.
Getty/AP/CBP
But CBP officers referred the driver, a valid border crossing cardholder, for further inspection of the vehicle. During the secondary inspection, screening technology detected anomalies within the floor frame.
A CBP K-9 sniffer dog unit detected the drugs. Homeland Security Investigations has launched a criminal investigation, and inquiries remain ongoing.
“I am extremely proud of our dedicated workforce,” said Rosa E. Hernandez, Port Director for the Area Port of Otay Mesa. “Our officers are always vigilant and work hard to ensure our border security is not compromised and to protect our communities from dangerous drugs.”
The operations are part of ongoing CBP efforts to intercept and prevent the trafficking of illicit drugs into the country.
Terri Beth Miller, Ph.D., Senior Editor at Rehab.com, told Newsweek: “This speaks to the urgent need for more DEA, Customs, and Border Patrol resources at the southern border. A surge of law enforcement personnel, border agents, and drug interdiction technologies is desperately needed.”
There have been several high-profile meth-related drug busts in recent months as agents try to halt the flow of drugs into the country.
CBP officers uncovered meth worth over $17 million stashed inside a shipment of coconuts at the Pharr International Bridge on September 28.
In August, officers confiscated more than $5 million worth of methamphetamine after smugglers had disguised 4,587 pounds of meth by wrapping the packages in bright green plastic with stripes, making them resemble small watermelons.
According to CBP data, over 164,000 pounds of methamphetamine have been seized nationwide in Fiscal Year 2024.
Law enforcement officials at the U.S.-Mexico border seized over 149,000 pounds of meth in the Southwest border alone in the 2023-2024 fiscal year as of August 2024.
Roughly 2.5 million people aged 12 and older reported using the drug in the U.S., according to a study conducted by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA).
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) National Center for Health statistics, there were an estimated 107,543 drug overdose deaths in the U.S. in 2023.
Do you have a story we should be covering? Do you have any questions about this article? Contact LiveNews@newsweek.com
