SAN DIEGO — U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers working at the San Ysidro Port of Entry discovered more than 120 pounds of liquid methamphetamine in water bottles destined for the U.S.
of meth at the San Ysidro Port of Entry
Wednesday.
The incident occurred on Wednesday, Jan. 6 at approximately 9 p.m. when a 36-year-old female, driver of a 2020 Ford Edge, was waiting in line to enter the United States. CBP officers targeted the vehicle and referred it for further examination after receiving a narcotics detector dog alert.
During the inspection, CBP officers discovered 36 plastic water bottles from the back seat of the vehicle, all of which tested positive for methamphetamine.
“This case is an example of the many apprehensions CBP officers intercept on a daily basis,” said CBP San Diego Director of Field Operations Anne Maricich. “CBP officers are vigilant at the border to stop those who attempt to enter the U.S. with contraband that ultimately harms our communities.”
CBP officers arrested the driver, a U.S. citizen, for the alleged narcotic smuggling attempt and turned her over to the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations for further processing. The driver was later transported and booked into the Western Region Detention Facility.
CBP seized the liquid methamphetamine, which has an estimated street value of $344,000, and the vehicle.
Criminal charges are merely allegations. Defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
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 found here: CBP-enforcement-statistics