319 kilos of cocaine seized
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| Cerro Colorado, Tijuana |
This morning in Tijuana, Mexican Army working in a counter narco operation seized 290 packages of cocaine, containing 319 kilos of cocaine, and 162,000 in cash. The money and product was in a safe house in the Lake Gardens private upscale community, in Cerro Colorado.
The operation was performed quietly, and efficiently, with no shots fired. Interestingly, no detainees have been named or announced at this time. This is the largest seizure in the last 2 years in Tijuana, according to General Gabriel Garcia Rincon, commander of the second military zone. The kilos are assessed at roughly 21,000 per, before crossing the border. The last large seizure of cocaine was the 325 pounds seized from the narco tunnel discovered in fall of 2013 , in an industrial warehouse in Otay Mesa, along with 8 tons of marijuana.
In 2015, 400 kilos of cocaine, more then 400 kilos of methamphetamine, and 3.5 tons of marijuana have been seized in Tijuana. Last week, at the Otay Mesa crossing, 19 tons were confiscated by US Border Patrol and Customs agents, one of the larger marijuana seizures in recent years. As a whole cocaine trafficking has declined slightly, as consumption has ceded slightly in US markets, making overseas destinations more desirable to traffickers. Prices in the US remain high, even in border cities.
No information was given on a particular group, or individual the product belonged too. Due to the circumstances, it is likely the seizure was derived from information from a suspect in custody, through (very) enhanced interrogation techniques, or even likelier a tip, that may have come from a rival group or organization. The General offered little commentary on the success, except saying 'they are taking drugs off the streets that harm our children".
Sources: AFN Tijuana, Frontera, El Diario.