Four California men were charged on Thursday after the conclusion of a multi-agency investigation that uncovered how a transnational drug trafficking organization hid up to $160m worth of drugs in everything from car parts to instant noodles for export to Australia, Papua New Guinea and New Zealand.
Roughly 755kgs (1,664lbs) of methamphetamine and more than 100kgs of cocaine were discovered tucked within emergency kits, instant noodle packets, car parts and subwoofers, according to the US Department of Justice, which released details about the arrests on Friday.
The four defendants face a life sentence in federal prison if convicted of all charges.
“The defendants allegedly used phones equipped with military-grade encryption software and encrypted messaging applications, particularly Signal, to coordinate the export of drugs from the United States,” the release said.
“They also allegedly used fictitious names, businesses, and email accounts to communicate with intermediaries, including vendors, freight forwarders, shipping companies, customs brokers, and customs officials in the United States and foreign countries, to fraudulently disguise the drugs as legitimate commercial products.”
It’s unclear where the drugs originated from, but from February 2017 to September 2022, the indictment alleges, the men packaged the bulk amounts of the drugs to ship across seas via air cargo, ocean freight and US mail.
In one instance during the summer of 2018, 390kgs (860lbs ) of methamphetamine were put into packets of instant noodles as mushroom seasoning. In September 2018, garlic seasoning packets were used to disguise 113kgs (249lbs) of methamphetamine and 100kgs (over 220lbs) of cocaine.
Aided by agencies from each county, along with the US Postal Inspection Service, the Drug Enforcement Administration and US Customs and Border Protection, Homeland Security investigations led the inquiry. Law enforcement agencies arrested two of the men on Thursday and two are still being sought.
