SAN DIEGO — Nearly 200 pounds of liquid methamphetamine was found in the fuel tank of a tractor in Otay Mesa Thursday, said U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

Around 8:40 p.m., officers assigned to the Otay Mesa Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Facility encountered a 25-year-old man applying for entry. CBP says an officer referred the driver, tractor, and trailer for further inspection.

CBP officers then conducted a thorough hands-on inspection and noticed a crystalizing liquid substance while inspecting the fuel tank of the tractor. The substance was tested and identified as liquid methamphetamine, officials said.

CBP officers removed the liquid methamphetamine from the fuel tank of the tractor, and the
narcotics were placed in six five-gallon buckets with a total weight of 195.33 pounds. The estimated street value of the drug shipment is $221,500.

“This unusual concealment method shows that drug traffickers will try anything to get their product across our borders,” said Rosa Hernandez, Port Director for the Otay Mesa Port of Entry. “I am proud of the remarkable job our Otay Mesa CBP officers do every day because even in this extreme weather, they do not lower their guard when it comes to protecting our nation’s borders.”

The narcotics, tractor, and trailer were seized by CBP officers. The driver was given over to the custody of Homeland Security Investigations for further disposition.