Traffickers caught trying to smuggle pot in kayaks, authorities say
SAN DIEGO -- Suspected drug traffickers paddling across the border in four marijuana-filled kayaks were intercepted by U.S. authorities Friday near San Diego, resulting in the seizure of 297 pounds of drugs, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials said.
After Border Patrol agents detected the kayaks off the Imperial Beach coast at 4 a.m., the four suspects jumped out of their kayaks and tried to swim ashore.
Their attempted escape was foiled by a U.S. Customs and Border Protection helicopter that shined a spotlight on the men, allowing agents to make the arrests.
Ninety-nine packages of marijuana, with an estimated street value of $178,000, were found inside the kayaks, officials said.
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