$3.9 million worth of drugs were hidden in large rocks at a cargo crossing in Tecate, CA. U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers had to break open boulders to find 229 packages of methamphetamine and cocaine hidden inside.
The drug bust was on Sept. 14, 2020. A 18-wheeler truck driver arrived at the Tecate border crossing with a shipment listed on the trucking manifest as multiple tons of beach pebbles and stones. At the dock, a officer noticed discrepancies with the shipment. A canine team screened the shipment, which resulted positive for narcotics.
Officers searched the truck, tractor-trailer, and cargo containing various rocks, and ultimately had to break open the large quartz boulders that were part of the shipment. Inside, officers found packages wrapped with black electrical tape, which had been cemented inside of the stones.
In total, officers found 229 packages concealed inside the large rocks: 104 packages of methamphetamine and 125 packages of cocaine. Combined, the approximate 337 pounds of methamphetamine and 223 pounds of cocaine have an estimated street value of almost $3.9 million.
Customs and Border Protection officers seized the tractor-trailer, shipment, and narcotics.
