Nearly 17 pounds of fentanyl powder, heroin, and cocaine were found hidden in the muffler of a vehicle at the Mexico border in San Diego, authorities said July 16.
Officers from U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) encountered a 28-year-old man driving a 2003 sedan at the Otay Mesa Port of Entry at 4:30 a.m. on July 11, as he sought to cross into the United States.
During the primary inspection, a K-9 team alerted them to the presence of narcotics.
Upon further inspection, officers discovered 10 packages hidden in the vehicle’s muffler, containing 4.62 pounds of fentanyl powder, 7.71 pounds of black tar heroin, 2.46 pounds of brown powder heroin, and 2.11 pounds of cocaine.
The man was turned over to Homeland Security Investigations for further investigation. The narcotics and vehicle were seized by Border Patrol officers.
“Our CBP officers successfully intercepted a significant narcotics seizure ingeniously concealed within a vehicle’s muffler,” said Rosa Hernandez, port director for the Otay Mesa and Tecate ports of entry. “This singular event highlights the innovative yet desperate measures used by drug trafficking organizations.”
The seizure is part of CBP’s Operation Apollo, an initiative aimed at countering fentanyl smuggling in California and Arizona. This operation unites federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies to target drug traffickers attempting to enter the United States.
Since the beginning of the year, CBP has seized nearly 4,900 pounds of fentanyl, 81,000 pounds of methamphetamine, 14,000 pounds of cocaine, and 13,000 pounds of marijuana in California, the agency said.
The massive influx of fentanyl into the Golden State has led to a sharp increase in opioid overdose deaths in recent years. According to the Drug Enforcement Administration, just 2 milligrams of fentanyl can be lethal.
In 2014, the state recorded 104 fentanyl-related overdose deaths, which rose to more than 1,600 in 2019. By 2023, there were more than 7,000 such deaths, according to the state Department of Public Health.
Last month, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced that a generic naloxone opiate-blocker is now available for free to first responders, universities, and community organizations to combat opioid overdose deaths across the state.
