Federal officers staffing the San Ysidro Port of Entry over the weekend caught a motorist trying to smuggle more than a half-million dollars worth of fentanyl across the international line.
The Mexican national drove into the inspection and processing station in a 2003 Chevrolet Trailblazer and presented a valid visa shortly after 11:30 a.m. Saturday, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection public affairs officials.
During a search of the vehicle, agents noticed suspicious anomalies on the exhaust system. Inside the muffler they found eight packages of fentanyl weighing a total of 18 pounds, an amount with an estimated street value of about $590,000.
CBP officers seized the vehicle and drug stash. The suspect, whose name was not released, was turned over to Homeland Security Investigations for processing into the court system.
— City News Service
