California border officers snag $20M in drugs during first two weeks of March

SAN DIEGO ( Border Report ) — U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers assigned to the San Diego Field Office confiscated more than $20 million in narcotics during the first two weeks of March.

The San Diego Field Office comprises the San Ysidro, Otay Mesa, San Diego air and seaport, Calexico East/West, Tecate, and Andrade ports of entry.

According to CBP, the haul in drugs includes 131 pounds of cocaine, 11 pounds of heroin, 10,967 pounds of methamphetamine, and 213 pounds of fentanyl in 73 separate smuggling attempts from March 1 to March 17.

The total estimated street value of these narcotics is $20,600,000.

“Narcotics smuggling continues to be on the rise, and our officers are dedicated to ensuring the safety of our communities,” said Sidney Aki, CBP Director of Field Operations for San Diego. “Our officers are effectively trained to stay alert for any suspicious activities and to detect unusual travel patterns.”

Suspects in these incidents were arrested and turned over to Homeland Security Investigations for further investigation.

The illegal shipments and associated vehicles used to smuggle the drugs were seized by CBP officers.

CBP says the confiscated narcotics are part of Operation Apollo, which is a joint regional operation comprised of federal, state, and local agencies working to combat the threat from fentanyl, and other illicit synthetic narcotics.

The CDC states that more than 150 people die every day from drug overdoses related to synthetic opioids derived from fentanyl.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to YourCentralValley.com | KSEE24 and CBS47.