U.S.-Mexico border patrol agents have seized a massive haul of fentanyl worth over $1 million stashed inside the trunk of a car at a checkpoint in California.
On September 5, U.S. Border Patrol agents in San Diego discovered 168 pounds of deadly fentanyl pills after a K-9 team alerted officers to the presence of narcotics concealed within the vehicle, the CBP said in a statement.
The discovery was made after agents stopped a suspicious vehicle on Interstate 8 near Pine Valley. The estimated street value of the drug haul is thought to be $1.3 million, according to the CBP.
Tablets believed to be laced with fentanyl are displayed at the Drug Enforcement Administration Northeast Regional Laboratory. Agents have seized a massive haul of fentanyl, worth over $1 million, stashed inside the trunk of a car at a checkpoint in California.
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During a secondary inspection, authorities discovered nine cellophane-wrapped bags containing suspicious blue pills inside the trunk.
The driver, a 22-year-old U.S. citizen, was taken into custody on Thursday afternoon after Border Patrol agents discovered the haul. They tested the contents of the pills, and they came up positive for fentanyl.
The case is currently under further investigation by authorities.
The narcotics were turned over to the San Diego Border Crime Suppression Team, and prosecution under state charges is being sought.
U.S-Mexico border agents seized the vehicle following the drug bust.
The operation was part of ongoing CBP efforts to intercept and prevent the trafficking of illicit drugs into the country.
A bag containing fentanyl. Synthetic opioids are contributing to poisoning-related deaths across the U.S.
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“Fentanyl is a major factor in the record number of overdoses occurring in our nation,” San Diego Sector Chief Patrol Agent Patricia McGurk-Daniel said in the statement. “I applaud our agents’ vigilance and commitment to keeping our communities safe from this dangerous poison.”
Nearly half of the approximately 2,800 pounds of fentanyl seized by the U.S. Border Patrol in Fiscal Year 2023 came from the San Diego Sector. This region covers about 60 miles of the U.S.-Mexico border.
Border Patrol agents in San Diego have seized approximately 600 pounds of fentanyl in the 2024 fiscal year, according to CBP data.
Bryce Pardo, a UNODC research officer, told Newsweek the fentanyl crisis is a “significant public health issue.”
“The fentanyl crisis in the United States is extremely dangerous and has become a significant public health issue. Fentanyl overdose is the leading cause of death for Americans aged 18-45.
“Fentanyl and other synthetic opioids are responsible for approximately 70% of drug overdose deaths in the U.S. The vast majority of these are due to illegally manufactured fentanyl and not diverted pharmaceutical products.”
Fentanyl-laced fake oxycodone pills collected during an investigation. A UNODC research officer told Newsweek the fentanyl crisis is a “significant public health issue.”
U.S. Attorneys Office/N/A
In the first 10 months of the 2024 fiscal year, CBP officers confiscated 18,000 pounds of fentanyl nationwide, with the vast majority coming through the southern border.
An investigation by Newsweek uncovered that drug dealers are supplying customers with fentanyl across the U.S. by exploiting secret groups on the Telegram messaging app.
According to a study by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), law enforcement seizures of fentanyl increased dramatically between 2017 and 2023. In 2023, 115,562,603 pills containing fentanyl were seized by authorities, compared to only 49,657 in 2017.
The proportion of fentanyl pill seizures compared to the total number of seizures more than quadrupled, with pills representing 49 percent of illicit fentanyl seizures in 2023 compared to 10 percent in 2017.
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