Border authorities say March has been a busy month.
According to Customs and Border Protection, agents seized $20 million worth of narcotics in the first two weeks of March alone.
CBP says that the numbers break down to 131 pounds of cocaine, 213 pounds of fentanyl, 11 pounds of heroin, and 10,967 pounds of methamphetamine across 73 separate smuggling attempts from March 1 to March 17.
The total estimated street value of these narcotics is $20,600,000, says the agency.
“Narcotics smuggling continues to be on the rise, and our officers are dedicated to ensuring the safety of our communities,” said CBP Director of Field Operations for San Diego Sidney Aki in a statement.
“Our officers are effectively trained to stay alert for any suspicious activities and to detect unusual travel patterns.”
The suspected smugglers were arrested and turned over to Homeland Security Investigations for further investigation; the drugs and vehicles they were found him were seized by CBP.
The seizures were announced as part of Operation Apollo, a joint regional operation formed to combat drug trafficking.
