San Diego Arrests Three Foreign Nationals in $5M Methamphetamine Bust

Federal and local authorities in San Diego arrested three men—two Mexican nationals and one from El Salvador—who were in the U.S. illegally and charged them with conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute nearly 8,000 pounds of methamphetamine valued at over $5 million. The arrests followed a joint narcotics investigation by the San Diego County Sheriff's Office and U.S. Border Patrol, which observed the suspects loading the drugs onto vehicles in a parking lot on Otay Mesa Road before they were stopped near motels in San Ysidro and Chula Vista. The operation marked one of the largest methamphetamine seizures in 2025 in the Southern District of California and was the most significant bust by the newly established Homeland Security Task Force San Diego, created at the request of President Trump to target transnational criminal organizations involved in drug trafficking and other crimes. The accused, identified as Erick Omar Arriola, Baltazar Rodriguez Reyes, and Eugenio Lizama, face charges related to drug conspiracy and transportation, with Arriola noted as a felon with prior convictions. Officials emphasized the importance of interagency collaboration in combating drug trafficking and safeguarding the community. The men were booked into San Diego Central Jail pending further legal proceedings.