Jacumba
Two men arrested in connection with the record cocaine seizure near Jacumba were arraigned on one count of conspiracy to import a controlled substance Tuesday in federal court in San Diego.
Noel Armando Aispuro and Manuel de Jesus Zazueta-Beltran both pleaded innocent to the charge, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, said Assistant U.S. Atty. Patrick O’Toole.
Aispuro and Zazueta-Beltran are being held without bail at the Metropolitan Correctional Center pending a detention hearing next Monday, O’Toole said.
They are in custody after the discovery and seizure of 1,285 pounds of cocaine from a truck that officials said was driven by Aispuro. The largest previous bust in the county netted 477 pounds.
The cocaine is estimated to have a street value of $57 million to $150 million. Estimates of the value vary depending on how much the white powder could be “cut,” or diluted before its final sale. Border Patrol spokesman Wayne Kirkpatrick said the cocaine was “fairly pure.”
Border Patrol agents confiscated the cocaine near Jacumba early Monday morning after stopping two trucks that had tripped electronic sensors on the border.
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