The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) impounded 25 packages of methamphetamine concealed in an ice chest of frozen fish last Sunday, according to a statement released Wednesday.
The CBP officers from the San Diego Field Office found the illicit drug packages during a secondary inspection of a car that a 34-year-old man was attempting to drive into the U.S. at about 8:39 p.m. via the Calexico West Port of Entry, according to the statement.
“CBP officers utilized the port’s imaging system to screen the vehicle and observed irregularities within an ice chest found in the vehicle’s trunk,” the CBP said, according to the statement. “A CBP K-9 team responded and alerted to the presence of narcotics.”
Tests showed the packages, collectively weighing 47.13 lb, contained methamphetamine, the statement revealed.
The CBP officers reportedly handed over the suspect to Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) for further investigation, while also impounding the drugs and the car. (RELATED: CBP Officers Seize Drugs Worth Over $9 Million In One Weekend)
Nearly 50 pounds of meth found in ice chest full of dead fish at US border crossing https://t.co/VxR8xhZvqX
— Action News on 6abc (@6abc) April 18, 2024
“Drug traffickers will go to great lengths in attempt to deceive our officers,” said Roque Caza, Calexico Area Port Director, according to the statement. “I’m proud of our highly trained officers working diligently every day to combat these dangerous drugs that have claimed so many lives.”
The confiscation was part of Operation Apollo, “a holistic counter-fentanyl effort that began on October 26, 2023 in southern California” and leverages intelligence gathering and multi-level partnerships to fight cross-border fentanyl smuggling, according to the statement.
The CBP did not reveal the suspect’s identity in the statement.