Traffic Stop on Interstate 5 Led to Six-Hour Manhunt and Drug Seizure at Camp Pendleton
A June 12 pursuit by Orange County deputies crossed onto the Marine base and ended with two arrests and 112 pounds of cocaine and fentanyl recovered.
apnews.comCom. The vehicle entered a military housing area, where the two occupants abandoned it and fled on foot. NCIS issued a temporary shelter-in-place order and launched a search that lasted about six hours and involved roughly 30 personnel.
U.S. Border Patrol, and the Orange County Sheriff’s Department assisted with intelligence and tracking resources. Investigators located the suspects and took them into custody without further incident.
No injuries were reported during the operation. After securing the abandoned vehicle, authorities recovered approximately 51 kilograms, or roughly 112 pounds, of cocaine and fentanyl inside, NCIS said. The agency described the breach as “high-stakes” and credited inter-agency coordination for resolving the incident safely.
Com reported that the case will proceed at the federal level because the suspects entered a military installation and allegedly possessed a large quantity of illegal drugs. Identities of the suspects have not been released, and formal charges have not been announced.
Camp Pendleton, the largest Marine Corps installation on the West Coast, sits in northern San Diego County and houses tens of thousands of active-duty Marines, sailors, civilian employees, and family members.
The investigation remains open.
