Elements of the Mexican Federal Police, Mexican Army, and Mexican Navy seized more than 1045 pounds of methamphetamine and 3.5 tons (7054.7 pounds) of marijuana. The seizures took place in three separate operations during the last week in the northern Mexican border states of Baja California and Sonora.
The first incident took place on April 3 at the Tijuana airport when Mexican federal police assigned to customs inspections in the section which received incoming parcels. During random inspections, agents received an alert from a K-9 drug detection dog on a substance contained within seven large plastic containers. The containers originated from Aguascalientes, Aguascalientes — a state located in central Mexico. The K-9 alerted to a second container which originated from Campeche, Campeche which was also determined to contain, methamphetamine. The total weight of both seizures totaled 201 kilograms, or 443 pounds, according to local media reports. The methamphetamine seized was in liquid form.
The next seizure occurred on April 4 when Mexican Navy personnel assigned to the San Felipe and Puerto Peñasco (Rocky Point) sector seized approximately four tons of marijuana and methamphetamine in the vicinity of the Gulf of Santa Clara, Baja California. According to the government officials, Mexican Navy (SEMAR) carried out surveillance in the area north of San Felipe, BC based on intelligence developed on illegal drug activity in the area where organized crime has been transporting illicit cargo by sea. Navy personnel spotted two suspicious vessels which fled after being spotted. Navy personnel eventually located the two abandoned vessels containing more than 3,200 kilograms (7,054 pounds) of marijuana and 160 kilograms (352 pounds) of methamphetamine.
The final seizure took place in the Mexican border city of San Luis Río Colorado, Sonora, which sits directly across the border from San Luis, Arizona. According to local media reports, personnel of the Federal Attorney General’s office executed a search warrant at a residence in San Luis Río Colorado after being tipped off by elements of the Mexican Army. According to a statement from the state attorney general’s office, law enforcement officials executed a search warrant at a residence after an individual fled from security elements into the house. A search by investigators resulted in the discovery of granular substance believed to be methamphetamine with a weight of 39 kilograms (86 pounds) and a liquid substance believed to be methamphetamine with a weight of just over 74 kilograms (163 pounds). The total weight of both the granular and liquid meth came out to 250 pounds. Investigators also seized an AR-15 rifle with extra ammo and magazine.
Robert Arce is a retired Phoenix Police detective with extensive experience working Mexican organized crime and street gangs. Arce has worked in the Balkans, Iraq, Haiti, and recently completed a three-year assignment in Monterrey, Mexico, working out of the Consulate for the United States Department of State, International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Program, where he was the Regional Program Manager for Northeast Mexico (Coahuila, Tamaulipas, Nuevo Leon, Durango, San Luis Potosi, Zacatecas).