U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has released the results of recent enforcement operations at the San Ysidro port of entry, reporting the seizure of more than 1,835 pounds of illegal narcotics and the apprehension of 71 individuals.
The haul was made possible in part through the use of advanced scanning technology and specially trained canine units, which enabled officers to intercept two separate vehicle-borne shipments of methamphetamine and cocaine.
The enforcement push unfolded during a period of heavy travel volume, with border officials processing a total of 1,357,892 travelers and conducting inspections on 27,516 commercial trucks over the course of the operations. Officers also identified and turned away 256 inadmissible individuals attempting to enter the United States.
In addition, separate financial screenings also led to the seizure of $114,684 in undeclared or illicitly sourced currency.
Secondary Inspections Uncover Hidden Compartments
Authorities have provided further details on the two vehicle seizures that contributed to the overall drug tally, both of which were uncovered during secondary inspections.
In the first case, a passenger vehicle was flagged during primary inspection and referred for additional screening. There, a combination of non-intrusive imaging technology and a canine alert led officers to discover 50 packages concealed within the vehicle, containing a total of 55.34 pounds of methamphetamine.
Shortly thereafter, a second car was directed to secondary inspection after a scanner detected structural irregularities. A police dog subsequently pinpointed the source of the anomaly, allowing officers to recover 10 packages hidden inside the dashboard. The packages were found to contain 25.3 pounds of cocaine.
All confiscated narcotics and detained individuals have been turned over to the appropriate authorities for further investigation and potential prosecution.
