SAN DIEGO — U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers conducting security operations at California’s ports of entry with Mexico performed more than 54.7 million inspections of travelers, seized more than 50 tons of illegal narcotics, and apprehended more than 74,000 immigration violators during federal fiscal year 2022.
CBP’s field office in San Diego includes the San Ysidro, Otay Mesa, Tecate, Calexico, Andrade and the San Diego air and seaports of entry.
During the fiscal year, which ended September 30, CBP officers at ports in San Diego and Imperial counties inspected more than 29 million passenger vehicles, more than 1.5 million trucks, almost 19,000 buses, and nearly 16 million pedestrians entering the U.S.
The total amount of narcotics seized during the year at California’s six ports of entry with Mexico decreased 38 percent compared to the previous period. Marijuana seizures decreased 98 percent to 320 pounds; cocaine seizures decreased by 23 percent to 8,790 pounds; heroin seizures decreased 68 percent to 764 pounds; methamphetamine seizures decreased 23 percent to 86,227 and fentanyl seizures increased by 5 percent to 6,704 pounds.
“It is evident from these statistics that CBP Officers are the front-line of stopping these dangerous narcotics from entering the U.S.,” said Jennifer De La O, CBP Director of Field Operations in San Diego. “Drugs such as fentanyl, have a devastating impact on our communities and requires that we remain vigilant to stop the negative impacts of the drug itself, and from the proceeds funding transnational criminal organizations. Keeping our communities safe is among our top priorities.”
The focused enforcement efforts by California’s border ports accounted for 15 percent of the cocaine, 50 percent of the heroin, 54 percent of the fentanyl and 58 percent of the methamphetamine seized at ports of entry nationwide.
The apprehension of individuals with outstanding felony warrants from local, state, or federal police agencies for different crimes such as homicide, robbery, and assault increased by 8 percent: 2,408 this fiscal year compared to 2,334 arrests during the same period last year.
CBP officers with emergency response or medical first responder training at the ports of entry provided medical assistance 750 times during the fiscal year.
CBP agriculture specialists performed almost 106,286 agricultural inspections in the passenger environment and more than 262,412 inspections in the cargo environment. These inspections resulted in close to 127,914 seizures of prohibited plant materials, meat, or animal products and finding about 1,062 cargo shipments that did not meet the agriculture requirements to enter the U.S., causing the shipments to either be returned to the country of origin, treated, or destroyed.
“I appreciate the relentless vigilance and fierce dedication that our officers and agriculture specialists provide day in and day out for our mission to protect public safety and national security, interdict the flow of narcotics and contraband, and facilitate lawful trade and travel.” stated Jennifer De La O, CBP Director of Field Operations in San Diego.
| FY2021 | FY2022 | Percent Change | |
| Marijuana (lbs.) | 18,634 | 320 | -98% |
| Cocaine (lbs.) | 11,455 | 8,790 | -23% |
| Heroin (lbs.) | 2,408 | 764 | -68% |
| Methamphetamine (lbs.) | 112,523 | 86,227 | -23% |
| Fentanyl (lbs.) | 6,361 | 6,704 | +5 % |
| Wanted Fugitives Arrested | 2,334 | 2,408 | +8% |
| Inadmissible Aliens | 24,811 | 74,139 | +199% |
Additional inadmissible alien statistics are available here: https://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/stats/ofo-sw-border-inadmissibles
Follow the Director of CBP’s San Diego Field Office on Twitter at @DFOSanDiegoCA for breaking news, current events, human interest stories and photos.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection is the unified border agency within the Department of Homeland Security charged with the comprehensive management, control, and protection of our nation’s borders, combining customs, immigration, border security, and agricultural protection at and between official ports of entry.