Authorities recently seized nearly 200 pounds of liquid methamphetamine from the fuel tank of a tractor trailer in Otay Mesa, officials said Saturday.
Last month, a 25-year-old man was pulled over by CBP officers while attempting to enter the Otay Mesa cargo facility, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
Officers flagged him for a second hands-on inspection, during which, they noticed a substance crystallizing in the fuel tank. The substance was tested and identified as liquid meth.
Authorities removed the meth and poured it into a half-dozen five-gallon buckets, with a total weight of 195 pounds. The estimated street value was $221,500.
“This unusual concealment method shows that drug traffickers will try anything to get their product across our borders,” said Rosa Hernandez, port director for the Otay Mesa Port of Entry.
The driver was turned over to Homeland Security Investigations for further disposition. No other passengers were reported in his vehicle.
– City News Service