OTAY MESA – U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers assigned to the Otay Mesa port of entry discovered fentanyl pills and methamphetamine concealed in the dashboard, center console, and spare tire compartment of a vehicle.
On Monday, at approximately 9:30 p.m., CBP officers were conducting vehicle enforcement inspections in the pre-primary area. CBP officers encountered a 23-year-old female driving a 2000 sedan. During an initial inspection CBP officers noticed plastic wrapped packages in the spare tire compartment. CBP officers referred the traveler to secondary inspection for further examination.
Upon inspection, CBP officers discovered and extracted a total of 109 packages throughout the vehicle. The narcotics were tested and identified as fentanyl pills with a total weight of 25.26 pounds methamphetamine with a total weight of 68.60 pounds.
The narcotics combined are worth an estimated street value of $838,520.
“Our officers are experts in the observation of human behavior, and it is evident that their continuous efforts and commitment to public safety are priority.” stated Rosa Hernandez, Port Director for the Otay Mesa port of entry.
The driver was detained for the alleged narcotic smuggling attempt. CBP officers turned the driver over to the custody of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) for further disposition.
CBP officers seized the vehicle and narcotics.
CBP officers at the border crossing in Southern California stop illegal activity while processing millions of legitimate travelers into the United States. Those statistics can be found on the CBP Enforcement-Statistics page.
Follow the Director of CBP’s San Diego Field Office on Twitter at @DFOSanDiegoCA for breaking news, current events, human interest stories and photos.