U.S. Border Patrol agents seized nearly 50 pounds of cocaine, valued at an estimated $810,000, during a vehicle stop near Camp Pendleton, authorities announced Monday. The drugs were discovered in the trunk of a sedan traveling northbound on Interstate 5.
The incident occurred around 5:45 p.m. Thursday, when agents from the San Clemente station stopped the vehicle. A K-9 unit alerted agents to the presence of narcotics, leading to the discovery of 19 cellophane-wrapped packages of cocaine hidden inside two white trash bags.
The driver and adult male passenger were detained, and the vehicle and narcotics were transported to a nearby patrol station. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has taken custody of the cocaine, and the two men face federal narcotics trafficking charges. The vehicle was seized by the Border Patrol. San Diego Sector Acting Chief Patrol Agent Jeffrey D. Stalnaker said:
Rest assured that the agents of San Diego Sector are out there around the clock protecting the American people. We will do everything within our power to stop those who would do us harm, and to prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law.
This seizure marks the latest in a series of significant drug interdictions along San Diego County’s interstate highways. Recent seizures include 18 pounds of fentanyl on Interstate 15 on Feb. 19 and 143 pounds of cocaine on Interstate 5 on Feb. 18.
The U.S. Border Patrol encourages the public to report suspicious activity by contacting 911 or the San Diego Sector at 619-498-9900.
