$1.4 million worth of narcotics seized in family of four's minivan

OTAY MESA, Calif. — U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at the Otay Mesa port of entry Tuesday seized about 133 pounds of methamphetamine, heroin, and cocaine concealed within the wall panels and seats of a minivan with a family of four.

The incident occurred at about 11:30 a.m. on Feb. 10, when a CBP canine team screening vehicles at the Otay Mesa port alerted to a 2015 Toyota Sienna minivan as the driver, his wife, and their two minor children waited in line for inspection. The vehicle and occupants, all U.S. citizens, were escorted for a more in-depth examination.

Officers searched the minivan and ultimately discovered 92 wrapped packages concealed within the seats and behind the interior body panels of both sides of the vehicle.

Once extracted from the minivan, five of the packages field-tested positive as cocaine, five tested positive as heroin, and the remaining 82 packages tested positive as methamphetamine.

The methamphetamine weighed about 109 pounds, and both the cocaine and heroin weighed about 12 pounds each. The narcotics have a combined estimated street value of almost $1.4 million.

The driver and his wife, both residents of San Diego, ages 37 and 32, were arrested and turned over to the custody of Homeland Security Investigation agents for further processing and were later transported to the Metropolitan Correctional Center to await arraignment. Their two minor children were turned over to Child Protective Services.

CBP seized the vehicle and narcotics.