Nearly 2,500 pounds of methamphetamine hidden in a shipment of medical supplies was seized in Otay Mesa this weekend, border officials said Tuesday.
According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the drugs, contained in 120 packages concealed amid medical supplies, were onboard a tractor trailer that entered the Otay Mesa Commercial Facility at around 9:45 a.m. Saturday.
After "anomalies" were discovered during an X-ray screening of the truck, a further inspection revealed the hidden meth when CBP officers used a canine to inspect the cargo, according to CBP.
The packages, weighing approximately 2,425 pounds, are worth an estimated $5.5 million, border officials said.
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The unidentified 29-year-old driver was arrested and is currently in custody at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in San Diego, awaiting potential federal charges.
"Most of what CBP officers see every day is legitimate travelers and legitimate cargo that needs to speed its way into the U.S. as a critical part of our economy," said Anne Maricich, acting CBP director of field operations in San Diego. "But CBP officers know that we must remain vigilant; transnational criminal organizations will attempt any avenue they can think of to try and smuggle their illicit drugs into the U.S."
