San Diego Border Patrol seizes more than $1 million in crystal meth

June 8th 2012 · 14 Comments

Border Patrol agents reported that they thwarted three separate drug smuggling efforts at San Diego checkpoints netting $1,183,800 worth of methamphetamine.

The first attempt occurred at the Border Patrol checkpoint on Interstate 15. Agents stopped a 26-year-old male Mexican national driving a black Dodge Charger. “Agents became suspicious of the driver’s nervous demeanor and requested and received permission to search the vehicle. A subsequent search of the trunk revealed four car batteries containing 16 bundles of methamphetamine. The methamphetamine weighed 49.93 pounds and had an estimated street value of $998,600,” according to Mary Beth Lane Caston, San Diego Border Patrol, Information and Communication Division.

Another drug smuggling attempt unfolded near the Border Patrol checkpoint located on Interstate 5 north of San Diego. Agents questioned two 20-year-old male United States citizens parked in seperate cars near the checkpoint in San Clemente.

“The agents became suspicious of the two men’s nervous demeanors and requested and received permission to search both vehicles,” according to Caston. “A Border Patrol K-9 performed a cursory inspection of the vehicles resulting in an alert to each vehicle. Agents subsequently located a fire extinguisher filled with methamphetamine in the trunk of each car. The methamphetamine seized from both cars weighed 6.17 pounds and had an estimated street value of $123,400.”

The last event also occurred at the Interstate 5 checkpoint. Another male United States citizen was taken into custody after a Border Patrol K-9 team inspected the vehicle that resulted in a positive alert. “Agents searched the vehicle and discovered two bundles of methamphetamine under the rear seat. The methamphetamine weighed 3.09 pounds and had an estimated street value of $61,800,” Caston said.

The suspected smugglers and narcotics were turned over to the Drug Enforcement Administration. The Border Patrol seized all three vehicles used in the attempted drug smuggling.

A version of this column originally appeared in www.examiner.com.