Guns, Drugs, Cash Seized In Cross-Border Bust
Raid Dubbed Operation Trapped Under ICE


SAN DIEGO -- Heroin, meth, guns, and cash have been seized and 44 people are under arrest following a cross-border bust in the South Bay dubbed Operation Trapped Under ICE, according to authorities.

District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis made the announcement Monday at the Hall of Justice.

Fifteen pounds of heroin, 30 pounds of meth, and $510,000 are all off the street as a result of the operation, Dumanis said.

Undercover Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents along with the Drug Enforcement Administration and Chula Vista police have been working on this investigation since March. Authorities said most of the drugs, money and weapons were taken across the border from Tijuana in cars and by people hiding the items under their clothes. From there, the contraband was distributed throughout San Diego County.

Agents served search warrants at several homes all over San Diego County eventually resulting in 44 arrests. The suspects, both men and women, range in age from 18 to 56. An estimated two-dozen of them were set to be arraigned in court Monday afternoon on smuggling, trafficking and conspiracy charges.

"This successful operation has blasted several important links out of an insidious cross-border drug chain," said Dumanis. "We went after some major players. High level traffickers who were funneling the drugs into this county."

Agents said many of the people arrested have ties to Acapulco, Mexico.

Prosecutors said the alleged ringleaders will face between 10 and 12 years in prison.

And as expected, many of these scumbags were in the country illegally, although little mention of this fact was made by the authorities and of course, the media. But then again, they're just good hearted, honest, law abiding, family values, salt of the earth type people, just here to make a better a life for their families.