U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers at the Otay Mesa port of entry’s cargo facility Monday successfully intercepted nearly 900,000 fentanyl pills concealed inside two porcelain sinks, according to CPB.
A 45-year-old Mexican national reportedly arrived at the port around 3:30 p.m. driving a white 2000 Ford cargo van, according to a CBP news release. The man reportedly presented a valid border crossing card and shipping manifest for two seemingly innocent sinks; however, a CBP officer referred the driver, along with the vehicle and shipment, for further inspection.
$2.5 MILLION IN FENTANYL SEIZED
Otay Mesa CBP officers intercepted a smuggling attempt of nearly 900,000 fentanyl pills. The pills were concealed inside two porcelain sinks and weighed 189lbs. The pills’ estimated street value is $2,574,000.
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— CBP (@CBP) July 1, 2023
The port’s imaging system quickly detected irregularities within the cargo and a canine detection team was brought in. After alerting authorities of drugs concealed in the sinks, CBP found 12 packages containing approximately 858,000 blue pills, all of which tested positive for fentanyl. (RELATED: As Fentanyl Crisis Wreaks Havoc On Blue City, Mayor Fights For More Food Trucks)
The fentanyl seized weighed 189.15 pounds at an estimated street value of over $2.5 million. CBP officers seized the shipment, cargo van and fentanyl pills. The apprehended driver was handed over to Homeland Security Investigations for further processing.
“Narcotics traffickers will try new and innovative ways to smuggle dangerous drugs across our borders, but CBP officers are always on their toes,” said Rosa Hernandez, Port Director for the Otay Mesa port of entry. “Thanks to our officers’ experience, this interception prevented hundreds of thousands of fentanyl pills from ever reaching our communities.”
CBP has already had 821 seizures of fentanyl so far in fiscal year 2023, which runs from October 2022 – September 2023. There were also 4,430 seizures of marijuana, 1,602 seizures of cocaine, 8 seizures of heroin, and 5,014 seizures of methamphetamine, according to agency statistics.