U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers at California's San Ysidro Land Port of Entry seized more than $9 million worth of drugs over the weekend of February 17-18, the agency announced Friday.
“CBP officers at the San Ysidro Port of Entry seized over $1 million worth of cocaine hidden inside a commercial passenger bus over the weekend,” said Sidney Aki, Field Operations Director, CBP Field Office, San Diego. . Posted On X (formerly Twitter) Friday, I posted about one of my seizures.
Let's all board the drug express 🚌! Bus seized and $1 million worth of cocaine leaked. 🚨🚨🚨
.@CBP Officers at the San Ysidro Port of Entry seized $1 million worth of cocaine hidden inside a commercial passenger bus over the weekend. https://t.co/R7tephyndF
— Field Operations Director Sidney Aki (@DFOSanDiegoCA) February 23, 2024
CBP officers used the port's imaging system and a K-9 team to discover cocaine hidden in the spare tire and air conditioning system of an empty commercial passenger bus, according to Friday's report. press release By CBP. According to CBP, the bus was driven by a 64-year-old man seeking entry from Mexico on February 17 at approximately 10:16 p.m. The drug was packaged in 60 packages with a total weight of 144.84 pounds and an estimated street value of $1,116,900, according to the statement.
Officers seized the bus and drugs. According to CBP, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) officers took the driver into custody.
Approximately 18 hours earlier, officers seized 57 boxes of cocaine with an estimated street value of $1,174,700 from the “roof and passenger side quarter panel” of the 21-year-old woman's SUV, officials said. . According to the statement, the woman sought entry to the United States from Mexico around 4 a.m. on February 17.
A 36-year-old female driver, who was also seeking entry into the United States from Mexico, was found in possession of 30 packages of fentanyl pills weighing 75.17 pounds and four packages of methamphetamine weighing 4.23 pounds on February 18 around 1 p.m. It is reported that he was discovered. The 34 parcels have a combined estimated street value of $6,826,345, according to the statement.
Officers reportedly handed the two women over to HSI custody. (Related article: 'Significant seizure': CBP seizes more than $3.5 million worth of cocaine at southern border crossing)
The seizure is part of Operation Apollo, a “regional joint operation of federal, state, and local agencies working to combat the threat of fentanyl and other illicit synthetic drugs,” CBP said.
“Great work this weekend by CBP officers working hard to protect America's front lines and secure our borders,” Mariza Marin, Port Director at the San Ysidro Port of Entry, said in a statement. She added: “Continuing to combat transnational criminal organizations and disrupting the flow of illicit drugs remains a priority.”
Additionally, on February 18, approximately 13,101 pieces of alleged methamphetamine valued at $117.1 million were recovered from the bed of a tractor-trailer containing desiccant for newborn piglets at CBP's Eagle Pass Port of Entry in Texas. The pound was seized. announced Thursday. CBP added that this “huge” seizure is “the largest ever seized by CBP personnel at a port of entry.”
