A major drug smuggling operation has been shut down by federal and local authorities in San Diego, California.
Three illegal aliens, two from Mexico and one from El Salvador, were arrested this week in San Diego.
The arrests came after authorities seized nearly 8,000 pounds of methamphetamine or “meth.”
The haul of drugs was worth an estimated $5.5 million.
The major bust was announced by officials on Thursday.
It was led by detectives from the San Diego County Sheriff’s Office, working alongside U.S. Border Patrol.
The operation took place Monday evening in Otay Mesa.
The area is a known cartel trafficking corridor near the U.S.-Mexico border.
Law enforcement spotted the suspects loading bundles of narcotics into three separate vehicles during a joint investigation.
The drivers were later tracked to motels in San Ysidro and Chula Vista, where they were taken into custody.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) identified the suspects.
The DOJ revealed that all three men are illegal aliens.
They were identified as Erick Omar Arriola, 27, a Salvadoran national with prior felony convictions, and Mexican nationals Eugenio Lizama, 35, and Baltazar Rodriguez Reyes, 49.
A search of the vehicles revealed 61 tightly wrapped bundles of methamphetamine.
The discovery is part of what officials are calling one of the largest seizures in 2025 for the Southern District of California.
The operation was carried out under the newly formed Homeland Security Task Force San Diego.
The task force was created this year under the Trump administration.
It seeks to ramp up enforcement against drug and human smuggling networks exploiting the Southern Border.
All three suspects now face multiple felony charges.
The charges include drug trafficking, possession with intent to sell, and conspiracy.
All three suspects are being held at the San Diego Central Jail.
Officials say the arrest highlights the ongoing danger of cartel activity, especially when criminal illegal aliens can operate unchecked within U.S. borders.
Conservatives continue to call for stronger border security and strict immigration enforcement to combat the rising flow of drugs and crime into American communities.
READ MORE – Activist Judge Boasberg Rules Illegal Aliens Deported by Trump Can Challenge Removals
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