SAN DIEGO — Federal prosecutors in the Southern District of California filed 102 border-related cases last week, underscoring the district’s heavy caseload stemming from crimes at the U.S.-Mexico border. Charges included smuggling migrants for profit, illegal reentry after deportation, and drug trafficking.

Among the cases filed last week:

Drug Smuggling Arrest: On September 18, U.S. citizen Ruben Castaneda was arrested after Customs and Border Protection officers discovered 15 pounds of methamphetamine hidden in the spare tire well of his vehicle at the San Ysidro Port of Entry.

Illegal Reentry: On the same day, Mexican national Efrain Viveros Otero was apprehended while hiding near the border east of the Otay Mesa Port of Entry. He had been deported earlier this year.

Several defenda

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