2 Arrested In $2.8M Drug Seizures At San Diego Border

OTAY MESA, CA — Federal officers recently seized hundreds of pounds of cocaine and methamphetamine in two separate busts at the Otay Mesa Port of Entry, authorities said.

The seizures took place April 7 and April 8 and resulted in the arrests of two drivers, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

In the first case, officers on April 7 referred a 51-year-old Mexican national driving a Toyota Prius for secondary inspection. A canine team alerted to the vehicle, and a subsequent search uncovered 44 packages of cocaine hidden in the vehicle's doors, back seat and rear quarter panels, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection. The drugs weighed about 124 pounds and were valued at $2.4 million.

The following day, officers stopped a 21-year-old U.S. citizen driving a Nissan Frontier and directed the vehicle to secondary inspection. An imaging system scan and a canine team indicated the presence of drugs in a non-factory compartment in the truck bed, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Officers found 25 packages containing about 307 pounds of meth that was valued at $491,200.

"These back-to-back seizures stopped dangerous criminals in their tracks and prevented deadly narcotics from ever reaching our communities," said Rosa E. Hernandez, port director for Otay Mesa.

The more than 430 pounds of drugs had a combined estimated street value of $2.8 million, officials said.

Authorities said all narcotics and vehicles were seized.

The drivers face federal prosecution. Their identities were not released.