Border Crisis: Officers Seize $4 Million in Narcotics in One Day

SAN DIEGO, – San Diego Sector Border Patrol agents seized nearly 300 pounds of narcotics with an estimated street value of $4 million from three vehicle stops earlier this week.

The first seizure took place at approximately 5:00 a.m., Tuesday, January 24th. Border Patrol agents assigned to the Campo Station initiated a vehicle stop near the Crestwood Road exit on Interstate 8.  A K-9 sniff of the vehicle led to the discovery of 57 packages containing blue pills. Tests confirmed the blue pills to be fentanyl with a total weight of 250 pounds with an estimated street value of $3,412,000.  Border Patrol seized the vehicle and turned over the suspect and fentanyl to a partner law enforcement agency.

The second seizure took place at approximately 12:00 p.m. Agents from the Newton-Azrak Border Patrol Station conducted a vehicle stop just north of the Interstate 15 U.S. Border Patrol checkpoint in Murrieta, California. The subsequent investigation and search of the vehicle resulted in the seizure of 33 pounds of cocaine with an estimated street value of $448,500.

The third seizure took place at approximately 12:16 p.m. Agents assigned to the Newton-Azrak Border Patrol Station stopped a vehicle at the Murrieta, California Hot Springs Road off-ramp on Interstate 215. The subsequent investigation and search of the vehicle resulted in the seizure of 9.4 pounds of fentanyl and 4.9 pounds of heroin, totaling an estimated street value of $178,000, and a 40-caliber handgun.

In both Murrieta events, the vehicles were seized by U.S. Border Patrol. The suspects, narcotics, and handgun were turned over to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department.

“San Diego Sector Border Patrol continues to do our part to keep drugs out of our communities,” said San Diego Sector Chief Patrol Agent Aaron M. Heitke. “Every narcotics seizure our agents make is one less family member or neighbor that is poisoned by these drugs.”

In fiscal year 2022, San Diego Sector Border Patrol agents seized approximately 14,000 pounds of narcotics. In fiscal year-to-date 2023, over 900 pounds of drugs have been seized.