Traffic stop at Marine base sparks six-hour NCIS manhunt ending in seizure of massive fentanyl and cocaine haul
A traffic stop at a California Marine base sparked a six-hour manhunt that resulted in the seizure of a large amount of fentanyl and cocaine.
Deputies with the Orange County Sheriff’s Office attempted to make a traffic stop on Interstate 5 just before 6 p.m. Thursday night, but the driver evaded authorities by driving onto Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton in Oceanside, the Los Angeles Times reported.
Authorities did not continue following the driver, but let military personnel know he had entered the base, according to the report.
Two suspects breached a base gate before abandoning their vehicles in base housing and fleeing the area on foot, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service wrote in a statement. Authorities have not publicly identified the suspects.
The NCIS launched a search throughout the camp, along with a shelter-in-place order.
Following a six-hour manhunt involving roughly 30 camp personnel, authorities apprehended the suspects, the NCIS said.
During the manhunt, authorities found a massive amount of drugs — approximately 51 kilograms of cocaine and fentanyl — inside the suspects’ vehicle.
A photo shared by the NCIS showed dozens of bags filled with the illegal drugs.
Roughly 38,000 military family members live on Camp Pendleton’s base housing complexes, according to the camp’s website.
Federal authorities will oversee the investigation into the incident, and the two suspects will likely face charges.
