Last December, the US Customs and Border Protection AGency seized about $4 million in drugs and cash at various ports of entry on the California-Mexico border in one weekend.
CBP officials at the six land ports intercepted 20 different attempts to move heroin, marijuana, cocaine, and methamphetamine. The drugs were tucked in various parts of the car, such as in the gas tank, bumpers, tires and quarter panels.
The initial seizure that week occurred on Dec. 7 at 9 am at Otay Mesa. The officers on duty arrested a 24 year old man when they discovered he was driving with 140 pounds of marijuana hidden in his car.
A CBP officer took the green Nissan Pathfinder to a secondary checkpoint for further examination. He used X-ray equipment and a dog to further screen the car. The officers on duty found 24 wrapped packages that were hidden in the car’s tires. The authorities reported that the drugs that were seized have a street value of $210,000.
Another cash and drug seizure happened about four hours later at the Tecate facility on the border when the authorities sent a 1998 Freightliner tractor trailer for further inspection. In the cargo dock area, the officers on duty used a dog screening and X-ray equipment to find 20 bricks of marijuana that was hidden under a large shipment of ornamental stones.
The total weight of the marijuana that was being smuggled was 638 pounds and it was worth about $955,000.
Another seizure that occurred the same week, on Dec. 8, involved several vehicles at the San Ysidro port of entry. There inspection officials seized more than $380,000 in US currency. In this case, a 23 year-old male was driving a 2007 Dodge Caliber. The officials at the port of entry did a complete examination of the car and they found eight sealed packages that contained the cash. It was found inside the gas tank. The officers put the driver under arrest and they seized both the money and the car.
According to federal law, it is illegal to not declare currency that is worth more than $10000 to a US Customs official when you enter or exit the United states. It also is illegal to conceal funds over $10000 to evade the requirement to report it. If you do not declare the funds, it can be seized and you may be arrested.
Another seizure happened on December 9 at the Calexico port of entry. An inspection officer detained a 35 year-old woman in a 2002 Ford Explorer. During an interview, the officer noted that the woman appeared nervous. A dog was used to search the engine compartment. It was found that 13 wrapped containers of cocaine were in the radiator. The narcotic weighed in at 39 pounds and had a street value of $460,000.
In a more recent cash seizure, about $520,000 was seized in Salisbury, Maryland in late February in the home of a man named Kevin Dykes. In his car at the home were found a kilogram of cocaine and over $500,000. In addition to the drugs and money that were seized, several of his bank accounts also were seized and frozen by federal authorities.
The state police in Maryland stated that a brick of pure cocaine weighing one kilogram is worth about $40,000. However, its value can be increased to $150,000 or more when you add in cutting agents that are used to dilute the product and increase profits.
In this case, the suspect is facing charges of possessing controlled and dangerous substances, and could get over 20 years in prison.