U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at the Otay Mesa Cargo Facility in San Diego seized over 900 pounds of liquid methamphetamine concealed in the fuel tank of a tractor-trailer. (U.S. Customs and Border Protection)
The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CPB) says a Mexican citizen traveling on a business visa was arrested at a border crossing inspection site in San Diego earlier this month after CPB officers found 900 pounds of liquid methamphetamine concealed in the fuel tank of a tractor-trailer.
What we know:
CPB says Oscar Alonzo Cesena Camacho, 26, of Tijuana, Mexico was driving a tractor-trailer traveling from Mexico to the United States and entered the Otay Mesa Import Cargo Facility in San Diego for inspection. As officers were conducting their inspection, CPB says an officer observed a white, crystalline substance atop the passenger-side fuel tank. Upon further inspection, CPB officers inserted a probe into the tank which revealed an unknown gel-like substance mixed within the diesel fuel.
CPB says a field test of the liquid came back positive for methamphetamine and officers then extracted a total of 29 five-gallon buckets of the liquid substance from the fuel tank weighing 944 pounds.
What they're saying:
"Thanks to the vigilance and expertise of our officers, we successfully intercepted 944 pounds of liquid methamphetamine concealed within the fuel tank of a tractor-trailer. This significant seizure demonstrates our ongoing commitment to protecting our borders and preventing dangerous narcotics from reaching our communities," said Otay Mesa Port Director Rosa Hernandez in a release.
What's next:
Alonzo Cesena Camacho was charged with importation of a controlled substance, which carries a maximum penalty of life in prison with a mandatory minimum 10 years and a $10 million fine.
The Source: Information in this article was sourced from a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CPB) press release. This story was reported from Orlando.