Border Patrol Seizes 1,435 Pounds of Cocaine Worth $9.8 Million at San Clemente Checkpoint
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Nov 7
Border Patrol Seizes 1,435 Pounds of Cocaine Worth $9.8 Million at San Clemente Checkpoint
1 articles · Updated · Fox News · Nov 7
Summary
More than 1,435 pounds of suspected cocaine were found in two vehicles stopped three minutes apart at the San Clemente checkpoint on Oct. 25, leading to the arrest of both drivers.
Suspicious behavior—including one driver trying to reverse out of the checkpoint—prompted secondary inspections, and a Border Patrol canine alerted agents to both vehicles.
Agents uncovered 550 vacuum-sealed packages hidden in black garbage bags; field tests returned presumptive positive results for cocaine, and the DEA took custody for federal prosecution.
San Clemente station chief J.D. Scott said the seizure puts the checkpoint on pace for a record year in narcotics interdictions as lower illegal border crossings let agents keep the I-5 checkpoint open longer.
The bust comes amid a broader federal crackdown on cartels and trafficking networks, months after Southern California authorities tied more than a ton of cocaine worth $45 million to an alleged cross-border tunnel.