Limited details have emerged regarding Wednesday’s confiscation of around 2 tons of methamphetamine in Riverside County and the city of West Covina, but indications suggest it ranks among the largest seizures in California.
At 9:30 p.m., a coordinated operation involving investigators from the Riverside Sheriff’s Special Investigations Bureau, Homeland Security Investigations, and the West Covina Police Department took place.
The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department disclosed that the collaborative effort targeted methamphetamine transportation and sales across Riverside and Los Angeles counties, culminating in the confiscation of 4,038 pounds of the substance.
The methamphetamine was intercepted in an unincorporated area of Riverside County and West Covina. While local law enforcement typically handles jurisdictional matters, Homeland Security Investigations focuses on combating transnational crime.
No arrests have been made, and additional details are being withheld by the sheriff’s department.
This seizure ranks among the state’s largest. A comparable operation in October 2022, led by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration Los Angeles Field Division, netted approximately 3,552 pounds of methamphetamine and 66 kilograms of cocaine in Norco. The operation targeted a drug trafficking organization with alleged ties to the Sinaloa Cartel.
“This marks the largest methamphetamine seizure for the DEA Los Angeles Division,” announced the federal agency.
Beyond California, last month witnessed the interception of 6½ tons of methamphetamine at the Eagle Pass Port of Entry in Texas. Valued at over $117 million, it stands as the largest seizure ever recorded at a port of entry in a single enforcement action, according to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
Donald Kusser, director of field operations at CBP’s Laredo Field Office, hailed the Texas operation as a “monumental methamphetamine seizure, the largest ever executed by CBP officers at a port of entry.”
