By The opinion
Apr 18, 2024, 11:29 PM EDT
U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers discovered nearly 50 pounds of methamphetamine found in a cooler full of fish during a routine check of a vehicle attempting to cross the border between the United States and Mexico.
The discovery occurred when Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents encountered a 34-year-old man driving a 2021 model sedan through the SENTRI (Secure Electronic Network for Rapid Travel Inspection) lane, while attempting to enter the United States via the Calexico West port of entry in Southern California and authorities referred the driver and vehicle for further examination, according to a statement issued by CBP officials Wednesday.
“A non-intrusive inspection of the vehicle was conducted in the secondary inspection area,” officials said.
“CBP officers used the port’s imaging system to inspect the vehicle and observed irregularities inside a cooler found in the trunk of the vehicle. “A CBP K-9 team responded and alerted to the presence of narcotics.”
Once CBP officers had access to the vehicle, They discovered and removed a total of 25 packages from the cooler, the contents of which were analyzed and identified as methamphetamine, with a total weight of 47.13 pounds.
The subject was immediately turned over to the custody of Homeland Security Investigations for further investigation and narcotics were seized from the vehicle, CBP said.
“Drug traffickers will do everything they can to try to fool our officers,” said Roque Caza, Calexico area port director. “I am proud that our highly trained officers work diligently every day to combat these dangerous drugs that have claimed so many lives.”
These seizures are the result of Operation Apolor, which according to CBP is a “holistic anti-fentanyl effort that began on October 26, 2023 in Southern California and expanded to Arizona on April 10, 2024.”
Operation Apollo focuses on intelligence gathering and partnerships, utilizing local CBP field assets augmented by federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial partners to leverage resources, increase collaboration, and combat fentanyl smuggling to the United States, CBP said.
The identity of the suspect involved in this case has not been released and the investigation is currently ongoing.
Methamphetamine is a powerful and highly addictive stimulant that affects the central nervous system. It is a white crystalline powder, odorless and bitter in taste, which dissolves easily in water or alcohol.
According to the CDC, in 2021, approximately 32,537 people died from an overdose related to psychostimulants other than cocaine (mainly methamphetamine).
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