CBP Seizes Half Ton of Marijuana From Boat Off San Diego, CA

Federal officials seized 1,398 pounds of marijuana after thwarting a smuggling at sea attempt along the San Diego County coastline Monday. At about 5 p.m. on July 5, U.S. Customs and Border Protection Marine Interdiction Agents and a CBP officer on maritime patrol intercepted a private vessel, the Oh Yeah, as it crossed into the U.S. from Mexican territorial waters. Marine Interdiction Agents boarded the vessel for a customs inspection when they discovered a false floor in the deck of the 28-foot fishing vessel’s cabin. Agents removed 291 plastic-wrapped packages of marijuana from under the false deck, and turned custody of the driver of the boat, a 47-year-old male U.S. citizen, to agents with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement maritime task force. CBP seized the vessel and narcotics.

The interdiction was part of a coordinated effort by member agencies of the San Diego Maritime Unified Command. The San Diego Maritime Unified Command, comprised of CBP, ICE, the Coast Guard, and other law enforcement partners, is an all-threats multi-agency approach to maritime law enforcement operating in the San Diego and Orange County maritime region.

San Clemente Times