Federal agents seize over 5K pounds of meth in record-breaking Southern California bust

Jordan Mendoza, USA TODAY
·2 min read
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Four men were arrested in a record-breaking drug bust after authorities seized over two and a half tons of methamphetamine in Southern California, officials said.

Officials said a commercial 20-foot box truck passed through the U.S.-Mexico border just before 5 p.m. on Thursday. Law enforcement surveilled the truck as it drove to National City, California, just south of San Diego.

When the truck stopped, the four men were reportedly seen unloading dozens of cardboard boxes from the truck into a Dodge van, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office. Authorities apprehended the men, and upon investigating the boxes, discovered 148 bundles of substances that tested positive for methamphetamine.

There was over 5,000 pounds of the drug transported, officials said, making what is believed to be one of the largest methamphetamine seizures in San Diego County history.

"This is a significant accomplishment by our law enforcement partners," U.S. Attorney Randy Grossman said in a statement. "Due to stellar work by law enforcement agents, the government stopped more than 5,000 pounds of methamphetamine from being distributed on our streets."

The suspects, all from Tijuana, Mexico, and ranging in ages from 37 to 44, were charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.

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Methamphetamine is a highly addictive substance that is usually taken in the form of powder. In 2020, over 23,000 Americans died from an overdose involving psychostimulants, most of which were meth, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In March, the National Institute on Drug Abuse said the seizure of meth and marijuana have risen since the start of the pandemic, suggesting pandemic restrictions may have impacted the availability and demand of the drugs.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Over 5,000 pounds of meth seized by officials in Southern California