CBP officers at Otay Mesa Commercial Facility discover $3.2 million in meth hidden within floor of tractor-trailer

Oct 11, 2024

CBP officers assigned to the Otay Mesa Commercial Facility kicked off October by discovering more than $3.2 million in methamphetamine concealed within the floor frame of a tractor-trailer in a single enforcement action.

The incident occurred on Thursday, October 3, 2024, when CBP officers encountered a 40-year- old male driving an empty commercial tractor-trailer seeking entry into the United States from Mexico. Following a cursory inspection, CBP officers referred the driver, a valid border crossing card holder, and commercial tractor-trailer for further examination.

During secondary inspection, non-intrusive screening technology was utilized to scan the tractor-trailer where officers observed anomalies within the floor-frame of the tractor-trailer. A CBP K-9 unit responded and alerted officers to the presence of narcotics.

With the assistance of a CBP K-9 team and port imaging technology, CBP officers detected anomalies in the trailer's floor frame. Heavy equipment was used to further inspect the frame.

CBP officers conducted a physical examination of the tractor-trailer’s floor and discovered 265 packages hidden within the floor frame. The contents of the packages were tested and identified as methamphetamine, weighing a total of approximately 2,686 pounds with an estimated street value of $3,220,000.00.

“I am extremely proud of our dedicated workforce,” stated Rosa E. Hernandez, Port Director for the Area Port of Otay Mesa. “Our officers are always vigilant and work hard to ensure our border security is not compromised and to protect our communities from dangerous drugs.”

CBP officers seized the narcotics and commercial tractor-trailer. The driver was turned over to the custody of Homeland Security Investigations for further investigation.

This seizure is the result of Operation Apollo, a holistic counter-fentanyl effort that began on Oct. 26, 2023, in southern California, and expanded to Arizona on April 10, 2024. Operation Apollo focuses on intelligence collection and partnerships, and utilizes local CBP field assets augmented by federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial partners to boost resources, increase collaboration, and target the smuggling of fentanyl into the United States.