Crime
Border officials seize 174 pounds of methamphetamine in California
The packages were mixed in with onions in sacks, and CBP officers seized 1,336 pounds of methamphetamine worth about $2.4 million
July 12, 2022 6:30pm
Updated: July 13, 2022 9:14pm
U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials at the Calexico entry port recently discovered 174 pounds of methamphetamine hidden in the cross beams of a rail car, the federal agency announced Monday.
CBP officers discovered 30 packages of methamphetamine concealed in the cross beams of a railcar when scanning a train from Mexico using an x-ray imaging system on July 4. Officials noticed “abnormalities” in one of the rail cars during the scan, and a narcotics dog was used to search the train. The dog alerted to the presence of narcotics, CBP said in a news release.
The 174 pounds of methamphetamine, which the agency estimates are worth a street value of $314,000, was seized by CBP officials.
“CBP officers work diligently to stop all smuggling attempts of dangerous drugs as well as other prohibited items,” Anne Maricich, CBP deputy director of field operations in San Diego, said in a statement. “Transnational criminal organizations will attempt to use any method they think might work. While finding narcotics in a rail car is highly unusual, it’s one of the reasons that CBP officers inspect every conveyance that enters the U.S.”
This is one of several instances this year in which CBP officials intercepted narcotics entering California. In April, four U.S. citizens were arrested for attempting to smuggle drugs into the country. One resident was arrested for possessing 64 pounds of methamphetamine, while three others were arrested during a separate incident for possessing 12 pounds of cocaine and 13.5 pounds of fentanyl.
Border patrol agents also seized nearly 1,200 small packages of methamphetamine disguised as onions at the Otay Mesa commercial facility in February. The packages were mixed in with onions in sacks, and CBP officers seized 1,336 pounds of methamphetamine worth about $2.4 million, according to a news release.
During fiscal year 2021, CBP officers and Air and Marine Operations agents seized 624,500 pounds of drugs, according to data released in January. The agency reported that cocaine seizures increased 68% over the previous fiscal year, and fentanyl seizures increased 134%.
