Photo: fentanyl in battery
Originally published as a US Customs and Border Protection press release –
“TEMECULA, Calif. — U.S. Border Patrol agents arrested a man on Wednesday with nearly 50 pounds of fentanyl concealed inside his vehicle.
U.S. Border Patrol agents discover three additional packages of fentanyl within a compartment of the vehicles battery.
The incident began on Wednesday at approximately 11:27 a.m., when agents stopped a blue 2018 Volkswagen Jetta on Interstate 15 just north of the Murrieta Border Patrol Checkpoint. Agents on the vehicle stop requested assistance from a Border Patrol K-9 unit. The agency K-9 conducted a sniff of the vehicle and alerted to the presence of narcotics.
Upon searching the vehicle, agents located 10 packages hidden inside the spare tire. An additional three packages were found within a compartment inside the vehicle’s battery. Seven of the 13 packages were found to contain fentanyl pills. The remaining packages contained fentanyl powder. The combined weight of the seizure was 49.6 pounds. The estimated street value of the seizure is $704,000.
The driver and the narcotics were turned over to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Southwest Investigative Bureau (SIB) for investigation and prosecution. The vehicle was seized by the U.S. Border Patrol.
Since October 1, 2021, San Diego Sector Border Patrol agents have seized more than 613 pounds of Fentanyl.
To prevent the illicit smuggling of humans, drugs, and other contraband, the U.S. Border Patrol maintains a high level of vigilance on corridors of egress away from our Nation’s borders. To report suspicious activity to the U.S. Border Patrol, contact San Diego Sector at (619) 498-9900.”
