Fake cocaine in a transparent bag on a board illustrating drug trafficking in Clermont Ferrand France on March 19 2020. (Photo by Romain Costaseca / Hans Lucas / Hans Lucas via AFP) (Photo by ROMAIN COSTASECA/Hans Lucas/AFP via Getty Images)
San Diego, California – U.S. Border Patrol agents from the San Clemente Station seized more than 66 pounds of cocaine on Monday, May 19, during a vehicle stop along Interstate 5, continuing a string of high-profile drug interdictions for the San Diego Sector in fiscal year 2025.
The bust occurred at approximately 5:15 p.m. near the Basilone Road exit when agents pulled over a grey sedan traveling northbound. After a brief interview with the driver, agents requested the assistance of a K-9 unit. The dog quickly alerted to the presence of narcotics, prompting a search of the vehicle.
Agents discovered two cardboard boxes in the vehicle’s trunk. Inside were 25 individually wrapped packages containing a white powdery substance. Field tests later confirmed the substance as cocaine. The packages weighed a total of 66.14 pounds, with an estimated street value of $451,500. The driver was taken into custody, and both the vehicle and narcotics were transported to a nearby Border Patrol station.
The case was turned over to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and the suspect now faces federal narcotics trafficking charges. The vehicle was also seized by the Border Patrol as part of the ongoing investigation.
“This seizure is yet another great example of the unwavering commitment and vigilance of our Border Patrol agents,” said Acting Chief Patrol Agent Jeffrey Stalnaker of the San Diego Sector. “These successes are a result of dedicated teamwork; every load we interdict represents saved lives and safer communities.”
The seizure is just the latest success for San Diego Sector agents operating along California’s heavily trafficked border corridors. So far in fiscal year 2025, agents in the region have seized 2,586 pounds of cocaine, 2,538 pounds of methamphetamine, 781 pounds of fentanyl, and 56 pounds of heroin.
Just days earlier, on May 16, agents from the same station intercepted a separate load of cocaine — 47.51 pounds valued at nearly $810,000 — during another I-5 traffic stop. That case also involved a positive K-9 alert and the discovery of 19 cellophane-wrapped packages hidden in trash bags in the trunk.
“These criminals continue to try and use our highways as drug trafficking corridors,” said Stalnaker. “But 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.”
The San Diego Sector continues to play a key role in the fight against drug trafficking, with agents focusing enforcement efforts on critical smuggling routes throughout Southern California.
