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Millions Seized In Tijuana Said To Belong To Sinaloa Cartel

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Millions Seized In Tijuana Said To Belong To Sinaloa Cartel

Millions Seized In Tijuana Said To Belong To Sinaloa Cartel

Photo courtesy of PGR, Mexico.

Mexican soldiers stand guard around the seizure of more than $15 million in Tijuana, said to belong to the Sinaloa cartel.

SAN DIEGO -- The $15 million -- along with a cache of cocaine, weapons and jewelry found inside a vehicle in a wealthy Tijuana neighborhood -- are said to have belonged to the Sinaloa cartel, headed by Joaquin "Chapo" Guzman, the most notorious of all cartel leaders active today. No arrests were made.

Ricardo Trevilla Trejo, a spokesperson for Mexico's National Defense Department or SEDENA, spoke to reporters in Mexico City.

"This seizure was a result of months of analysis and follow-up work by our local law enforcement agencies in Tijuana," said Trevilla Trejo. "This operation came as a total surprise to everyone."

Trevilla Trejo added that this seizure was part of a larger campaign, exposing in less than five months a drug-trafficking tunnel in Tijuana and one of the largest marijuana plantations ever found in the state of Baja California.

The seized money will go back to the Mexican Attorney General's office.

Ruxandra Guidi was a KPCC reporter for the Fronteras Desk from 2010 to 2013.