Really Breaking Bad: 560kg Meth Bust (To Catch a Smuggler)

Introduction

This episode of To Catch a Smuggler (which appears to be a compilation of other episodes) focuses on drug trafficking seizures performed by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP), namely that of MDMA / ecstasy and methamphetamine. While giving insight into their careers and briefly explaining how drug trafficking works, they find 560 kilograms of liquid meth in paint buckets loaded into a truck and a large quantity of MDMA in parcels.

Quotes

“Meth production’s changed a lot. The super meth labs are down in Mexico. They ship it here in liquid, powder, sometimes it’s actually mixed in with diesel, and then they have to separate it out. So, you’ll still see conversion labs, but they’re not actually producing the methamphetamine. They’re just separating it out, and then making it into that crystal form that they want to see here.”

“We’re seeing a huge amount of meth coming into the Atlanta area. We’ve had large loads come in tractor trailers. We’ve had shipments coming through the mail. So when we work these kinds of investigations, we’re not here to just take off the small supplier. Our objective is to move up the chain and ladder, hopefully get to that top level, maybe a drug trafficking organization or a head of a cartel.”

“The individuals that are recruited to drive the narcotics are generally the lowest level members, but as the controlled substances make it further into the United States, the members of the organization that come in contact with that are higher level members. Those individuals have more connections, and that can be the starting point for an in-depth investigation into the organization.”

“HSI is Homeland Security Investigations. We are the principle investigative arm for the Department of Homeland Security. CBP and HSI is like the one-two punch. Customs and Border Protection are basically the uniform cops. They are the ones that the public usually deals with. So, they turn over the information, the evidence, and we take the lead at that point.”

“In law enforcement, you know, when you say goodbye to your family that day and you go to work, there’s always that feeling you might not come home. Today might be that last day. So, I try not to take things for granted.”

“With taking this one person into custody, we were able to seize approximately 8 kilograms of methamphetamine. It’s a huge epidemic, so for us to take one kilo off or 300 kilos off is huge to us because we feel like we’re saving lives, but there’s still a train or a plane or a bus that’s bringing more and more across. So, from here, we just move on to the next one.”