TEMECULA, Calif. – U.S. Border Patrol agents arrested a man near Temecula with fentanyl and cocaine hidden inside his car Wednesday afternoon.
On Oct. 9 at approximately 5:15 p.m., agents stopped on a 2009 Ford Escape and conducted a canine sniff prompting agents investigate further.
Agents searched the vehicle and noticed the headrests of the backseats were unusually solid. Further inspection revealed two metal boxes fixed in the headrests. Inside the boxes were 12 plastic wrapped packages were nine packages of fentanyl, weighing 22 pounds. This quantity contains enough doses to kill more than 5 million people. The remaining three packages contained cocaine and weighed 2.64 pounds. The narcotics have an estimated street value of $236,400.
in metal boxes stuffed inside seat
headrests.
“This seizure represents a great victory for San Diego Sector,” said Chief Patrol Agent Douglas Harrison. “We are proud to say that this potentially dangerous combination of drugs will not reach local communities throughout the country. We stand with our law enforcement partners to combat the ongoing opioid crisis.”
The man, a 54-year-old U.S. citizen, was placed under arrest. The narcotics were turned over to the Drug Enforcement Administration and the vehicle was seized by the U.S. Border Patrol.
This marks the largest fentanyl seizure for San Diego Sector so far in fiscal year 2020.