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  4. CBP Officers Discovers more than $3.2M of Cocain, Methamphetamine inside Gas Tank

CBP Officers Discovers more than $3.2M of Cocain, Methamphetamine inside Gas Tank

Release Date
Tue, 06/27/2017

SAN DIEGO – On Sunday U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at the San Ysidro port of entry seized over $3.2 million in cocaine and methamphetamine inside a gas tank of a commercial bus this past Sunday.

This significant seizure occurred June 25, at about 9:30 p.m., at the San Ysidro port of entry when a CBP canine team gave a positive alert to a 2004 commercial bus that was awaiting inspection. The driver, a 50-year-old male Mexican citizen, was a B1/B2 Visa holder. CBP officers referred the man and bus to secondary inspection for further examination.

CBP officers observed anomalies with the bus’s gas tank. Officers pulled 98 packages from inside the gas tank. CBP officers determined that 48 packages contained cocaine that weighed more than 200 pounds with an estimated street value of over $3 million. The other 50 packages contained methamphetamine. These weighed more than 25 pounds with an estimated street value of $182,000. The man was arrested and turned over to the custody of Homeland Security Investigations agents for further processing.

“CBP officers remain vigilant and committed to halting the drug trafficking originations attempts to smuggle narcotics into the U.S.” said Pete Flores, director of field operations for CBP in San Diego. “CBP’s seizure of these narcotics sends a strong message that our efforts to stop illegal narcotics from entering our country will never falter.”

CBP seized the vehicle and narcotics.

CBP officers put an immigration hold on the man so that after the judicial process he will be returned to DHS custody.

CBP officers at the border crossings in Southern California routinely stop illegal activity, while processing millions of legitimate travelers into the United States. CBP officers at the border crossings in Southern California routinely stop illegal activity, while processing millions of legitimate travelers into the United States. Those statistics can be on the CBP Enforcement Statistics webpage.

Criminal charges are merely allegations. Defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection is the unified border agency within the Department of Homeland Security charged with the management, control and protection of our nation's borders at and between the official ports of entry. CBP is charged with keeping terrorists and terrorist weapons out of the country while enforcing hundreds of U.S. laws.

Last Modified: Feb 03, 2021