Federal Agents Seize Over $20 Million In Narcotics At San Diego Border

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Unlike the Irish Navy, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) were right on top of things when it comes to seizing loads of drugs from smugglers in the first two weeks of March.

According to a new report, from March 1 to March 17, CBP officers seized 131 pounds of cocaine, 11 pounds of heroin, 10,967 pounds of methamphetamine, and 213 pounds of fentanyl in 73 different smuggling busts. The total estimated street value of the seized narcotics is $20,600,000.

“Narcotics smuggling continues to be on the rise, and our officers are dedicated to ensuring the safety of our communities,” said Sidney Aki, CBP Director of Field Operations for San Diego. “Our officers are effectively trained to stay alert for any suspicious activities and to detect unusual travel patterns.”

#MarchMadness indeed.

The drug seizures were part of a joint regional operation called Operation Apollo, which is made up of federal, state, and local agencies who are targeting the illegal import of fentanyl and other illicit synthetic narcotics into the United States.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) more than 150 people die every day from drug overdoses related to synthetic opioids derived from fentanyl.

Meanwhile, it isn’t just drugs that are being discovered and confiscated at CBP ports of entry.

Down at the Area Port of Nogales in Tucson, Arizona, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers and agriculture specialists recently inspected a passenger vehicle and discovered 27 Amazon parrots trying to be smuggled into the U.S.

Two lilac-crowned Amazon parrots and 25 white-fronted Amazon parrots were fund hidden inside a crate covered by a dark cloth in the passenger seating area of the vehicle.

The birds are valued at $800-$3000 each, but they are also, according to CBP, “a source of various animal diseases, some of which are transmittable to humans.”