TIJUANA – In another major blow against traffickers, federal agents working with the military confiscated nearly 8 tons of marijuana in the city's east side, announced Gen. Gilberto Landeros, commander of the Second Military Zone.

He displayed the drugs for the news media Tuesday afternoon in the courtyard of the 28th Infantry Battalion, after holding a monthly meeting with state leaders on public safety.

In addition to the marijuana, which was in 691 packages, authorities seized two rifles, a gun and four clips.

A suspect also was detained but he was not presented nor identified.

As has repeatedly been the case, the drug seizure began with an anonymous tip.

A squad from the Federal Investigative Agency and army troops arrived around 2 p.m. at a house in the Magaña housing development in the La Mesa district.

They searched for three hours and found the drugs, which weighed a total of 15,579 pounds, said a spokesman for the federal Attorney General's Office.

For his part, Landeros explained that some of the marijuana packages had been hidden in exercise benches. A soldier took apart one of these benches for the media to show where the packages had been stored.

Authorities have delivered big blows against drug traffickers in the Tijuana area.

In March and April alone, they destroyed drugs confiscated in various police and military operations that had a combined street value of at least $50 million.

In those two months, the Mexican army set fire to more than 13 tons of marijuana, 444 pounds of methamphetamine, 5½ pounds of heroin and nearly 215 pounds of cocaine.

And drug busts continue against various criminal organizations. In one of the latest ones, on April 6, state police agents seized 1,630 pounds of marijuana, valued at $2.4 million.

In addition to the drugs, authorities have confiscated a large collection of weapons and related hardware. On April 6, when they freed a kidnap victim, the military seized five rifles, one gun, 29 clips for different weapons and 1,488 cartridges of various calibers.

Then, on April 20 in the Camino Verde neighborhood, the army announced the seizure of 15 pounds of explosives, two rifles, 177 clips, 1,779 cartridges and tactical equipment and uniforms.

And three days later, the military confiscated 12 rifles, six clips and 5,012 cartridges in a house in the La Gloria neighborhood.

Landeros said that despite these successes, drugs continue to flow into the border region, and traffickers are resorting to more clever ways to avoid detection.

"Baja California is a big table where there are infinite ways to cross drugs by ground, air or sea into the United States," he said. "And the drug traffickers keep risking it all."

The general held the press conference accompanied by Tijuana Mayor Carlos Bustamante, who had attended the monthly meeting to talk about security issues with the governor and the state's other mayors.

Landeros praised the "great sense of responsibility" authorities in the region feel to fight crime. He said that these efforts have resulted in a recent increase in tourism, which reached a level not seen since 2007.

Omar.millan@sandiegored.com