Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers in the San Diego field office seized more than $5 million worth of drugs in the first half of April, according to a statement released Thursday.
Officers seized “78 pounds of cocaine, five pounds of heroin, 825 pounds of methamphetamine, and 203 pounds of fentanyl in 52 separate drug smuggling attempts between April 1 and April 14.” statement revealed.
Some or all of the drugs that the suspected smuggler attempted to smuggle into the United States. 7 ports of entry The buildings that make up the San Diego office may have been sold for a combined estimated retail price of $5.32 million, according to the statement.
CBP officers also seized the vehicle used to smuggle the drugs and turned over the suspected smugglers to Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) for further investigation, the statement said. (Related: Authorities seize drugs hidden in frozen food at southern border)
CBP reportedly described its officers’ efforts to seize the illegal drugs as “dedicated and unwavering.”
Sidney Aki, CBP’s Director of Field Operations in San Diego, said, “Smugglers continually devise complex plans to evade detection, but CBP officers coordinate, anticipate, and ultimately develop the most sophisticated plans.” “He has an outstanding talent for exposing even the most complex strategies,” the statement said. .
Photos shared in the statement show that the April 5 seizure, which exposes such a complex plan by the suspected smugglers, involved police officers holding a number of polythene bags hidden inside the speakers. It included the discovery of 1,000 fentanyl pills.
“I commend the police officers for maintaining a strong enforcement stance and effectively stopping the smuggling of harmful drugs,” Aki added.
The seizure was part of Operation Apollo, a joint anti-fentanyl operation launched in Southern California in October 2023, the statement said.
At the beginning of April, CBP launches Operation Plaza SpikeThe plan targets Mexican cartels that funnel fentanyl into the United States and stem the illicit flow of weapons south from the United States to Mexico.The Plaza is cartel territory just south of the United States
The seven ports of entry that make up the San Diego field office are Andrade, Calexico East, Calexico West, Otay Mesa, San Diego International Airport/Port, San Ysidro, and Tecate.
