U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers at the San Ysidro Port of Entry recently found and seized more than 225 pounds of cocaine in a single smuggling event. The late-April seizure demonstrates the agency’s ability to focus on defeating cartel smuggling networks that continue to probe the heightened Trump border security posture for weaknesses.
The cocaine smuggling venture was encountered at the San Ysidro Port of Entry when officers became suspicious of a 21-year-old male U.S. citizen driving a Ford F-250 pickup truck attempting to enter the country, according to information provided to Breitbart News by CBP officials. Officers referred the individual and the vehicle to a secondary inspection area for a more thorough investigation, during which an imaging system and a CBP canine team alerted officers to an anomaly discovered in the vehicle.
A physical inspection led to the discovery of 81 packages of a substance that tested positive for cocaine concealed within the spare tire and gas tank. The narcotics weighed approximately 225.44 pounds and had an estimated street value of $4,328,448, officials reported.
The enforcement posture at land border ports has hardened due to strict border security measures enacted by President Trump, which are helping officers focus on enforcement and inspections. The Biden-initiated CBP-One smartphone application, which allowed 1,400 migrants daily to enter land ports of entry to launch asylum claims and gain release into the United States, saw many CBP officers diverted from enforcement and inspection duties to processing migrants for release.
The program was used to facilitate the entry of nearly one million asylum applicants between 2023 and January 2025, until it was canceled by President Trump immediately after the inauguration.
The significant seizure comes after other actions taken by the Trump administration to fight the Mexican drug cartels at the ports and in between. In early 2025, the Trump administration declared several major Mexican drug cartels as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTO). The declaration issued by the U.S. Department of State designated six Mexican drug cartels, the infamous Mara Salvatrucha gang of El Salvador, and the violent Venezuelan Tren De Aragua gang, Breitbart previously reported.
The cartels are also focused on finding creative ways to smuggle high-value human targets that net the FTO organizations significant smuggling fees. CBP Officers are also finding success in thwarting these efforts as well.
On the same day, officers were stopping cocaine from entering the United States at the San Ysidro Port of Entry; Breitbart learned that other CBP officers at the Otay Mesa Port of Entry discovered another illicit smuggling activity involving the smuggling of a Chinese national.
During that event, officers referred a 20-year-old male U.S. citizen driving a Toyota Camry for a secondary inspection. An imaging system revealed anomalies in the vehicle’s dashboard. During a physical inspection, officers discovered a 31-year-old female Chinese national hidden in a non-factory compartment in the dashboard.
San Diego Director of Field Operations Sidney K. Aki commented on the cases that highlight what CBP officers are finding at ports of entry, saying, “Smugglers will go to creative and dangerous lengths to move narcotics and people across the border, but our officers are even more determined. Their commitment to discovering these smuggling attempts, no matter how concealed, is essential to keeping our communities and neighborhoods safe.”
CBP officers seized the narcotics, the Ford F-250, and the Toyota Camry. Both drivers were arrested and will face federal prosecution, officials stated.
Randy Clark is a 32-year veteran of the United States Border Patrol. Before his retirement, he served as the Division Chief for Law Enforcement Operations, directing operations for nine Border Patrol Stations within the Del Rio, Texas, Sector. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) @RandyClarkBBTX.
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