Customs and Border Protection officers at the Otay Mesa Port of Entry say they discovered 92.72 pounds of heroin concealed inside a vehicle’s gas tank, a discovery announced Friday by the agency’s top border official in San Diego. A similar gas-tank concealment was reported at Otay Mesa in 2020.
The find was announced in a post from Sidney Aki, who is identified as director of field operations for the San Diego Field Office, writing “Fueled by deception. Exposed by CBP,” and describing how officers at the Otay Mesa Port of Entry
discovered the drugs concealed inside the tank. No accompanying CBP news release detailing the seizure date, the vehicle involved, or any arrest has been made available alongside the social media post, leaving several basic details of the case unconfirmed for now.
A Familiar Smuggling Method at the Border
Hiding narcotics inside a vehicle’s gas tank is not a new tactic at Otay Mesa. Back in July 2020, federal officers at the same port of entry found roughly 140 pounds of liquid methamphetamine and two pounds of heroin stashed inside a van’s gas tank and spare tire, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection. That earlier bust involved 131 separate bundles hidden in the vehicle, with the drugs valued at about $175,000…