Officers at the San Ysidro Port of Entry turned a routine vehicle inspection into a major narcotics score after uncovering more than 121 pounds of methamphetamine packed into a car’s dashboard, San Diego’s director of field operations said yesterday. The haul is the latest reminder that smugglers are still betting big on custom, non-factory compartments at one of the nation’s busiest land crossings.
In a post on the social platform X, Director of Field Operations Sidney Aki announced the seizure and praised his team for stopping what he called “over 121 lbs of methamphetamine concealed from the dashboard of a vehicle.”
Dashboard drug bust! 🛑
— Director of Field Operations Sidney Aki (@DFOSanDiegoCA) July 3, 2026
Our officers at the San Ysidro Port of Entry seized over 121 lbs of methamphetamine concealed from the dashboard of a vehicle. Outstanding teamwork stopping these dangerous narcotics from hitting our streets and keeping communities safe!#OFOProud #CBP pic.twitter.com/Dz7e3fswzn
How Officers Spotted The Hidden Load
According to Customs and Border Protection, officers at San Ysidro lean on a mix of non-intrusive imaging systems, K-9 teams and targeted secondary inspections to catch anomalies in vehicles, then send the suspicious ones for a closer look. That playbook is a key part of the agency’s “Frontline Against Fentanyl” strategy and has helped the San Diego field office grab several large shipments in recent months, according to CBP.
Another Big Score In A String Of Seizures
The latest dashboard find follows a pair of mid-April stops at San Ysidro that turned up roughly 116 pounds of fentanyl and meth during two separate inspections, a combined load local reporters estimated at about $2.8 million. Those earlier seizures led to arrests and federal investigations, as detailed in Hoodline.
What Comes After A Seizure Like This
Once officers pull narcotics from a vehicle, the drugs and the car typically head to Homeland Security Investigations for forensic testing and a closer legal look. In similar recent stops at San Ysidro, the drivers were arrested and now face potential federal charges, according to reporting by KESQ.
For nearby communities, large seizures like this keep a significant amount of potentially lethal narcotics off the street, even as officials warn that traffickers constantly test new hiding spots and routes. CBP and its partner agencies continue to urge anyone with information about smuggling activity to reach out to federal tip lines, the agency notes in its public materials (CBP).
