CBP seizes millions of dollars in narcotics in first quarter of 2023
By SDCN Editor
San Diego, CA–U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers from the San Diego Field Office released data of seized varieties of narcotics worth an estimated quarter billion dollars from January 1 to April 30, federal authorities said.
The San Diego Field Office reports that the narcotics seized were from ports of entry at San Ysidro, Otay Mesa, San Diego air and seaport, Calexico East/West, Tecate, and Andrade.
“To create safer and stronger communities, CBP officers utilize their training, experience, and an array of technologies to seize an alarming amount of narcotics,” said Sidney Aki, CBP Director of Field Operations for San Diego. “Statistically, fentanyl is one of the deadliest drug threats our nation has ever encountered and CBP is on the frontline seizing record amounts of it. Preventing cross-border smuggling of fentanyl and other dangerous drugs is one of our top priorities.”
Since January, narcotics seized at those ports were:
- Marijuana – 1,535 pounds seized ($3,838,150)
- Cocaine – 5,287.27 pounds seized ($83,939,100)
- Heroin – 226.83 pounds seized ($3,086,400)
- Methamphetamine – 26,579.09 pounds seized ($55,816,089)
- Fentanyl – 4,403.38 pounds seized ($119,893,800)
In total, an estimated $266,573,500.00 worth of narcotics were interdicted in 1,359 separate incidents. Suspects in these incidents were arrested and turned over to Homeland Security Investigations for further investigation and processing. The narcotics and any associated vehicles used to smuggle the drugs were seized by CBP officers.
