Earlier this week, three men were arrested in San Diego, with officials alleging they were involved in transporting a significant amount of methamphetamine worth over $5 million.
This incident took place around 7 PM on Monday during a collaborative drug investigation in the South Bay, as announced by the San Diego County Sheriff’s Office on Thursday.
Detectives from the sheriff’s office and U.S. Border Patrol agents observed three vehicles suspected of carrying large quantities of drugs.
A federal complaint, filed by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California, indicated that one of the vehicles parked on Otay Mesa Road.
According to authorities, two of the vehicles were heading toward a motel in San Ysidro, while the third was on its way to a motel in Chula Vista. Eventually, law enforcement arrested all three drivers.
The Department of Justice identified the suspects as 27-year-old Eric Omar Ariola from El Salvador, along with 35-year-old Eugenio Lizama and 49-year-old Balthazar Rodriguez Reyes, both from Mexico.
Ariola has a criminal record that includes convictions for driving under the influence, domestic battery, and false imprisonment, the DOJ reported.
Upon searching the vehicle, authorities discovered 61 bundles of methamphetamine, totaling over 7,700 pounds and estimated to be worth around $5.5 million.
Officials remarked that this was one of the largest methamphetamine seizures in Southern California for the year, marking a significant operation for the recently formed Homeland Security Task Force in San Diego, initiated at the request of President Trump.
