U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) announced Friday that the agency successfully stopped an estimated 561,000 fentanyl pills worth more than $11 million from being smuggled into the U.S. from Mexico.
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According to CBP, on Sunday, Feb. 25 at approximately 8:20 p.m. a CBP K-9 unit encountered a 37-year-old man driving a 2008 sedan and seeking admission into the U.S. from Mexico at the San Ysidro Point of Entry in San Diego, California.
After the CBP K-9 unit alerted officers to the glove compartment area of the sedan during an initial search, indicating the possible presence of narcotics, the sedan was diverted for a secondary inspection.
In their secondary inspection, CBP officers discovered a total of 100 packages containing blue pills hidden within the vehicle’s dashboard and front passenger seats.
The pills were tested and identified as fentanyl, CBP said.
An estimated 561,000 pills were ultimately seized as a result of the inspection, with a total weight of 123.6 pounds, and an approximate street value of $11,220,000.
The 37-year-old subject driving the vehicle was turned over to the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations for further investigation.
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“Fentanyl is a very lethal drug that continues to be encountered along our southern border,” Mariza Marin, Port Director for the San Ysidro Port of Entry, said Friday. “I’m very proud of the exceptional work by our officers who skillfully interdict illicit narcotics on a daily basis.”
