Authorities seize over 400 pounds of meth, cocaine and heroin in toolboxes at California border crossing
By Emma Tucker, CNN
US Customs and Border Protection officers in California have discovered more than 400 pounds of methamphetamine, cocaine and heroin concealed in toolboxes that were being transported to the United States.
Federal officers working at the Tecate Port of Entry on April 1 encountered a 56-year-old male driver of a 2006 Toyota Tundra who was waiting in line to enter the country, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) announced Friday in a news release.
CBP officers referred the vehicle for further examination and during an inspection they “extracted a total of 94 packages of narcotics from underneath and inside multiple toolboxes on the bed of the vehicle,” the news release says.
The narcotics were tested and confirmed as cocaine, methamphetamine and heroin with a combined weight of roughly 415 pounds, according to the agency. Officers seized the vehicle and the drugs, which have an estimated street value of $2.56 million, CBP said.
“This interception is a true testament to the diligence of our frontline CBP officers,” said Rosa Hernandez, Port Director for the Otay Mesa Port of Entry. “Our officers continue to remain vigilant and prevent illicit narcotics from poisoning our local communities.”
Officers arrested the driver in the alleged drug smuggling attempt and he was turned over to the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Homeland Security Investigations (HIS) for further processing, CBP said.
The driver, an unidentified citizen of Mexico with a valid legal permanent resident document, was being held in the Metropolitan Correctional Center in San Diego.
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