MURRIETTA, Calif. – California agents with the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) found a large stash of drugs in the fuel tank of a semi-truck.
CBP said in a release that San Diego Sector U.S. Border Patrol agents found a smuggling attempt of hard narcotics along Interstate 15.
CBP said on Sept. 29 at 11 a.m., agents conducted a vehicle stop on a northbound semi-truck, traveling without a trailer, on Interstate 15 approximately a quarter mile north of the California Highway Patrol scales. During the encounter, a Border Patrol agent assigned to the Newton-Azrak Border Patrol Station and his K-9 partner, Loki, led agents to discover characteristics of liquid methamphetamine concealed inside at least one of the truck’s fuel tanks.
The vehicle and the driver were transported to the Newton-Azrak Station for further processing.
CBP reported in its release that hazardous response specialists were called in “to safely extract the liquid contents from the fuel tank.”
“The recovered liquid tested positive for methamphetamine, yielding a staggering total weight of 962 pounds (approximately 115 gallons) with an estimated street value of $1 million,” the release stated.”
Agents turned the driver, a Mexican national, over to Homeland Security Investigations and local authorities for state prosecution. The semi-truck was seized by the U.S. Border Patrol.
“This massive seizure of liquid methamphetamine highlights the lengths these transnational criminal organizations will go to smuggle hard narcotics into our communities,” said Justin M. De La Torre, chief patrol agent for the U.S. Border Patrol’s San Diego Sector. “The vigilance of our agents, the reliability of our K-9 units, and our strong multi-agency partnerships are vital to dismantling these illicit smuggling operations and keeping deadly drugs off our streets.”
Bruce Guthrie is an award-winning journalist who has lived in three states including Arkansas, Missouri and Georgia. During his nearly 20-year career, Bruce has served as managing editor and sports editor for numerous publications. He and his wife, Dana, who is also a journalist, are based in Carrollton, Georgia.
