By Steve Neavling
Border Patrol agents in Southern California seized more than 760 pounds of liquid methamphetamine hidden in a semitruck’s fuel tanks, marking the largest meth bust in the San Diego Sector in two years.
Agents stopped the northbound truck Tuesday evening on Interstate 215 in Murrieta after a K-9 unit alerted officers to possible narcotics, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection, The South Pasadenan reports. The vehicle, its driver, and suspicious fluid found in the diesel tanks were taken to a Border Patrol station for further investigation.
There, agents discovered the fuel tanks had been modified to conceal aftermarket compartments. Inside, hazmat teams and Homeland Security Investigations extracted 22 five-gallon buckets of liquid meth, weighing a total of 761 pounds. The drugs are estimated to be worth nearly $685,000.
The truck driver was arrested and turned over to Homeland Security for prosecution. He faces federal charges of possessing a controlled substance with intent to distribute under Title 21 of the U.S. Code. The truck was seized by authorities.
“This bust sends a clear message,” said Acting Chief Patrol Agent Jeffrey D. Stalnaker. “Foreign terrorist organizations will use every trick in the book to get their drugs into the country. Our agents are the best in the business and remain committed to dismantling these networks.”
Since the start of fiscal year 2025, Border Patrol agents in the San Diego Sector have seized 347 pounds of methamphetamine, 1,415 pounds of cocaine, 177 pounds of fentanyl, and 19 pounds of heroin.
