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“If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again” should be the motto of drug smugglers trying to get one over on U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents.
Because no matter how creative they try to be when smuggling their drugs, whether it’s inside a tractor trailer frame, inside the spare tire of a pickup truck, or inside a shipment of cucumbers and bell peppers, they never seem to give up.
One of the latest failed efforts by drug smugglers recently occurred when El Centro Sector CBP agents arrested a man suspected of smuggling 450 pounds of liquid meth hidden inside a semi-truck’s fuel tank.
“On July 8, at approximately 2 p.m., agents stopped an orange Freightliner semitruck traveling northbound on Highway 86 near Coachella,” a CBP press release states.
“A Border Patrol K-9 team trained to detect concealed people and illegal drugs alerted to the presence of drugs in the vehicle.
“After the semi-truck and driver were transported to the Indio Border Patrol Station, a more thorough inspection was conducted.
“Agents tested the liquid in the fuel tanks and confirmed the presence of methamphetamine.”
The total value of the 450 pounds of liquid methamphetamine that was seized is estimated to be worth around $540,000.
7/8: USBP agents in El Centro, CA interdicted a narcotic smuggling attempt. This time, 440+ lbs. of liquid meth was found in the gas tank of a freightliner semi-truck.
That's more than $500K worth of methamphetamine not entering our communities. pic.twitter.com/wQHyHn0xpb
— Chief Jason Owens (@USBPChief) July 12, 2024
“I tend to think large shipments of methamphetamine such as this pose a risk to Americans on several levels, including increases in crime and decreases in health and safety,” said El Centro Sector Chief Patrol Agent Gregory Bovino. “Agents in the Premier Sector will continue to take the fight to smugglers of all types with one goal in mind: winning on behalf of the taxpayer.”
Chalk up another dub for Operation Apollo, which “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.”
Along with that bust, CBP agents at the Indio immigration checkpoint recently snagged over $1 million worth of cocaine hidden in the ceiling of an SUV.
#PremierSector too hot for this snow!#K9 agents at the #Indio immigration checkpoint found 34 packages of cocaine hidden in the ceiling of an SUV. In total, 92 pounds of cocaine worth over $1 million were seized.
Excellent job keeping this poison out of our communities! pic.twitter.com/B8I5z3pMQm
— USBP Chief Patrol Agent Gregory K. Bovino (@USBPChiefELC) July 19, 2024
Try again, smugglers.