761 pounds of liquid meth valued at nearly $7k found in tractor-trailer’s fuel tanks

MURRIETA, Calif. — U.S. Border agents from the San Diego Sector halted a hefty load of liquid methamphetamine hidden inside a semi-truck on April 8. The seizure, totaling 761 pounds, was the sector’s largest single methamphetamine seizure over the past two years.

Here’s how it went down, according to a statement from U.S. Customs and Border Patrol:

At about 6:40 p.m. on Tuesday, April 8, agents from the Newton-Azrak station pulled over a tractor-trailer traveling northbound on Interstate 215 in Murrieta.

During the vehicle stop, agents called for a K-9 unit to respond to the location. The K-9 arrived on scene and yielded a positive alert for the possible presence of concealed narcotics in the truck.

Agents investigated and discovered anomalies in the fuel tanks and the fluid inside. Agents then transported the driver, the truck and the presumed narcotics to the Border Patrol station for further investigation.

At the station, agents discovered aftermarket compartments hidden in both diesel tanks. The fluid in the compartments tested positive for the characteristics of methamphetamine.

Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and hazmat personnel were contacted to assist with extraction of the liquid.

A total of 22 five-gallon buckets were retrieved from both tanks. The weight of the methamphetamine was 761 pounds, with an estimated street value of $684,900.

The driver and the narcotics were turned over to HSI for further investigation and prosecution. The driver faces federal prosecution under Title 21, U.S.C. Section 841(a)(1) for possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance. The truck was seized by the Border Patrol.

“Foreign terrorist organizations will use every trick in the book to get their drugs into the country,” said Jeffrey D. Stalnaker, acting chief patrol agent of the San Diego Sector. “The agents of San Diego Sector are the best in the business and will continue to target, interdict, and dismantle these organizations.”

Prior to this event, the San Diego Sector had seized 347 pounds of methamphetamine in fiscal year 2025, along with 1,415 pounds of cocaine, 177 pounds of fentanyl and 19 pounds of heroin.

Linda Garner-Bunch

Linda Garner-Bunch has been in publishing for more than 30 years. You name it, Linda has written about it. She has served as an editor for a group of national do-it-yourself publications and has coordinated the real estate section of Arkansas’ only statewide newspaper, in addition to working on a variety of niche publications ranging from bridal magazines to high-school sports previews and everything in between. She is also an experienced photographer and copy editor who enjoys telling the stories of the “Knights of the Highway,” as she calls our nation’s truck drivers.