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In the San Diego area, authorities uncovered a significant drug haul hidden within a shipment of jalapeño paste, amounting to over $10 million in value.
US Customs and Border Protection officers made the discovery at the Otay Mesa Cargo Facility. They inspected a commercial tractor-trailer, driven by a 28-year-old man, which was ostensibly transporting jalapeño paste. Upon thorough examination, CBP officers found 349 suspicious packages embedded in the paste.
The haul comprised more than 3,000 pounds of methamphetamine and over 500 pounds of cocaine, with an estimated street value of $10,430,000. Rosa Hernandez, the Otay Mesa Port Director, praised the efforts of the CBP K-9 teams, stating, “Our K-9 teams are an invaluable component of our counter-narcotics operations, providing a reliable and unequaled mobile detection capability.” She emphasized the importance of operations like this in securing communities and curbing the expansion of transnational criminal organizations.
The driver of the tractor-trailer was subsequently handed over to Homeland Security Investigations for further investigation. This seizure adds to the already impressive tally of narcotics intercepted by the San Diego Field Office, which last month seized over 14,000 pounds of illegal drugs.
