90 kilos of cocaine seized in Oceanside
As the shadow of an election looms over us all, and a slight chill in the air, Thanksgiving a week away, a single man is arrested with nearly 90 kilos of cocaine, and 68 kilos of crystal in Oceanside, San Diego. Oceanside and Vista are meth and heroin trafficking hubs, with many shipments arriving for retail distribution, as the cities spirals in meth addiction. Shipments are also bound over for further points norther, runners using the city as base, screening the San Clemente checkpoint for warning signs.
Many federal cases begin at the checkpoint, as runners are detained, and large amounts of narcotics found hidden in their vehicles. That is only the beginning. They are debriefed, interrogated, and their case begins to wind through federal court, as those entrusted with millions in product, have to answer for their mistakes, and make good, or leave their live behind. 27 year old girls in nondescript rentals, marijuana smoke billowing out of their vehicle, with 27 kilos of cocaine in the trunk, soft spoken non citizens with millions in crystal hidden in trap compartments.
Ricardo Lujan, a 44 year old San Diego native is the latest. Who is this man? Who gave him this job? How much was he paid? These are questions few know the answers to. But, many will want. Even fewer know the picture that Lujan can unravel. Questions of wiretaps, secret indictments, confidential informants. I'd think this shipment was traveling to LA, and was in transit, and I think someone knew, other then the participants. Lujan may have been on his way to the checkpoint, as it is often closed in the early morning hours.
According to the complaint, and Oceanside Police officer was doing random vehicle registration checks at 12:40 am on Harbor Drive, in Oceanside. Lujan was driving a Mitsubish Endeavor, with expired tags, and attempted to leave the area. He was detained. The officer stated he appeared nervous. He consented to a search of the vehicle. A canine detected the presence of narcotics.
The DEA and San Diego Narcotics Task Force agents arrived on scene and searched the vehicle, where they discovered the 90 kilos of cocaine, and 68 kilos of crystal. It's the sequence that is interesting, and I don't think this press release is intended to mislead anyone, but reading between the lines, what begs the question is....rather then searching the vehicle for a few grams of heroin, a meth pipe, and a quarter ounce, whatever it may be, DEA agents were called in.
We may never hear of this case again, or months from now, an unsealed indictment will provide a framework for this arrest and seizure. Eyes are on. Phones will be seized, phones will be dropped, fallout will ensure. People will blame this person, or that person. Someone will need to make up the lost money.
That is millions of dollars in product, and someone had to make the call....'We lost them...They fell".
Sources: US Attorney's Press Release, NBC7