Border Patrol agents and their law enforcement partners have managed to seize and prevent more than $25 million in cocaine from reaching the interior of the United States during the past seven days. The latest seizure, which occurred on Thursday near San Clemente, California, was nabbed after a Border Patrol K-9 unit sniffed out the illicit substance hidden in trash bags located in the trunk of a vehicle.
According to Chief Michael W. Banks of the Border Patrol, Thursday’s seizure brought the seven-day total of cocaine to more than $25 million. As reported by Breitbart Texas, in just three separate events on the morning of February 23, the Rio Grande Valley Sector agents seized nearly 560 pounds of cocaine with an estimated street value of $18 million. Two of the three seizures occurred at a fixed highway checkpoint after routine immigration inspections. The third seizure resulted from a roving patrol stop initiated by Border Patrol agents on a nearby highway.
On Thursday, a USBP K9 sniffed out 47.5 lbs. of cocaine hidden in trash bags in the trunk of a vehicle on a highway in San Clemente, CA. The drugs and two individuals were turned over to DEA for state prosecution.
— Chief Michael W. Banks (@USBPChief) March 3, 2025
DYK- In the last seven days, USBP and partners have seized a jaw… pic.twitter.com/Lekef09BUM
The significant seizures come after several actions taken by the Trump administration to fight the Mexican drug cartels. On February 19, the Trump administration declared several major Mexican drug cartels as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTO). As reported by Breitbart Texas, the U.S. Department of State designated six Mexican drug cartels, the infamous Mara Salvatrucha gang of El Salvador and the violent Venezuelan Tren De Aragua gang, as Foreign Terrorist Organizations.
Reports emerged simultaneously that the United States was utilizing military “Reaper” drones to surveil Mexican drug cartel activities inside Mexican airspace. When asked about the reports of the drone flights during a daily morning press conference on February 19, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum did not deny the flight operations were being conducted.
-Another major hit to criminal enterprises!
— Chief Michael W. Banks (@USBPChief) February 28, 2025
In a joint operation, USBP agents and Live Oak County Sheriff’s Office stopped an SUV- discovering over $267,000 hidden under the back seat. The money was seized, and both driver and passenger now face state charges for money… pic.twitter.com/B6gxPixGwL
Responding to a reporter’s question concerning the United States military’s drone flights within Mexican airspace in Spanish, Sheinbaum said, “These are not new agreements. They come from President Manuel Lopez Obrador or someone else. There have been meetings with the Northern Command, the Secretary of the Army, and the Secretary of the Marines.”
Sheinbaum indicated the operations were simply collaboration and coordination against the cartels but were not a new phenomenon or part of a new agreement. In addition to the drone flights and Foreign Terrorist Organization declaration by the Trump administration, during the same week in February, the Mexican Senate announced the approval of a plan to allow a cadre of U.S. Army Green Berets to enter Mexico at Campeche to train Mexican Marines.
The uptick in seizures could be attributed to a move by the Mexican drug cartels to reduce inventory held in Mexico in anticipation of further enforcement actions by the Trump administration to combat the transnational criminal organizations.
Randy Clark is a 32-year veteran of the United States Border Patrol. Prior to his retirement, he served as the Division Chief for Law Enforcement Operations, directing operations for nine Border Patrol Stations within the Del Rio, Texas, Sector. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) @RandyClarkBBTX.
