On Monday afternoon, Border Patrol agents seized more than a ton of marijuana from a recreational watercraft. Photo: Courtesy of U.S. Border Patrol
In total, 82 bundles of marijuana were seized, which weighed 2411.86 pounds and had an estimated street value of $1,205.930. Photo: Courtesy of U.S. Border Patrol
On Monday afternoon, Border Patrol agents seized more than a ton of marijuana from a recreational watercraft. Photo: Courtesy of U.S. Border Patrol
San Clemente Times
U.S. Border Patrol reported on Tuesday, Dec. 7, that agents seized about 2,400 pounds of marijuana on Monday, Dec. 6, from an abandoned boat left at Calafia State Park near San Clemente.
“On Monday at approximately 3 p.m., agents responded to a report from California State Park rangers that a 25-foot Bayliner was in the process of washing ashore,” according to a U.S. Border Patrol press release. “With assistance from the rangers, agents pulled the vessel ashore for further inspection. Agents did not encounter any people on the boat or the surrounding area.”
During the inspection, agents discovered several large bags inside the boat that contained 82 cellophane-wrapped bundles of marijuana.
The estimated street value of the marijuana was about $1.2 million. The marijuana and the vessel were seized by the U.S. Border Patrol.
“The U.S. Border Patrol in collaboration with Federal, state and local law-enforcement agencies coordinates operations through the Regional Coordinating Mechanism (ReCoM) to address transnational maritime threats along the Southern California coast,” the release stated. “The ReCoM mission is to increase homeland security by eliminating transnational crime along the coast. The Joint Harbor Operations Center (JHOC) in San Diego is the tactical command center for ReCoM.”
If you have information about maritime smuggling or suspicious activity along the coast of California, contact JHOC at 1.800.854.9834 or 911.