Vessel Carrying 333 Pounds Of Meth Intercepted Near Huntington Beach
HUNTINGTON BEACH (CBSLA) — A vessel traveling from Mexico carrying 333 pounds of methamphetamine was intercepted by the U.S. Coast Guard near Huntington Beach, U.S. Customs and Border Protection reported Tuesday.
The methamphetamine had a street value of $915,750.
The vessel was initially detected on Saturday by officials with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations, which suspected it was being used in maritime smuggling, according to the federal agency.
Authorities tracked the watercraft to the Huntington Beach area, where it was intercepted by the Coast Guard about 7:30 a.m. Monday.
The vessel was then taken to a USCG station in Long Beach.
U.S. Border Patrol dogs located the 333 pounds of methamphetamine "in various locations throughout the vessel," according to CBP.
A field test kit confirmed the substance was methamphetamine.
Two Mexican nationals were aboard the boat were taken into custody. Their names were not publicly released.
(© Copyright 2020 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. City News Service contributed to this report.)