Customs and Border Protection officers at the Otay Mesa Port of Entry reeled in more than 430 pounds of cocaine and methamphetamine in two back-to-back busts on April 7 and 8, a haul officials say is worth nearly $3 million on the street. Two men were arrested, and both vehicles are now in government hands as federal investigations move forward.
According to the Times of San Diego, CBP reported the combined seizures at about 124 pounds of cocaine and roughly 307 pounds of methamphetamine, totaling more than 430 pounds with an estimated street value of nearly $2.8 million. The cocaine was intercepted on April 7 after officers sent a Toyota Prius to secondary inspection. A federal complaint identifies the driver as Daniel Lopez Patino and says officers found 44 packages of cocaine hidden in the door panels, back seat and rear quarter panels. The U.S. Attorney’s Office says Lopez Patino was arrested and charged with importation of a controlled substance.
How the meth was uncovered
The next day, CBP officers flagged a 21-year-old U.S. citizen driving a Nissan Frontier for a closer look after imaging scans, and a canine team indicated a non-factory compartment in the truck bed. Inside, inspectors found 25 packages containing about 307 pounds of methamphetamine. The stash carried an estimated street value of about $491,200, according to FOX News. Both drivers were taken into custody to face federal prosecution, and CBP seized their vehicles as evidence.
Port director praises detection work
Otay Mesa Port Director Rosa Hernandez credited her team’s tech and dogs for catching the load before it hit local streets. “These back-to-back seizures stopped dangerous criminals in their tracks and prevented deadly narcotics from ever reaching our communities,” she said in a statement to the Times of San Diego. CBP said officers used imaging systems and targeted secondary inspections to track down the concealed packages.
Legal fallout
The U.S. Attorney’s Office confirmed the April 7 stop led to a charge of Importation of a Controlled Substance against Daniel Lopez Patino and that the case has been referred to Homeland Security Investigations for prosecution. The office also reminded the public that indictments and complaints are only allegations and that defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Why it matters
The Otay Mesa busts are part of a larger surge in drug interdictions at the border. CBP’s San Diego Field Office reported seizing more than 6,100 pounds of narcotics valued at over $14 million in March alone across San Ysidro, Otay Mesa and Calexico, underscoring just how much contraband is moving through land crossings. KYMA reports that suspects from those cases were turned over to Homeland Security Investigations.
For the two April stops, the investigations are still active. CBP officials say the seized narcotics will be processed as evidence and then destroyed under federal procedures. As of April 18, both drivers remained in custody and are expected to face federal prosecution, according to FOX News.
