EL CENTRO, Calif. – El Centro Sector Border Patrol agents arrested a man attempting to smuggle fentanyl, heroin and cocaine through the immigration checkpoint Sunday afternoon.
The incident occurred at approximately 2 p.m., when a white Honda Odyssey approached the Highway 86 immigration checkpoint. Agents directed the vehicle to enter the secondary inspection area for further investigation.
During their inspection, a Border Patrol K-9 detection team alerted to the vehicle. Agents discovered a large bag of blue pills and two packages wrapped in tape hidden inside of the vehicle’s battery. The contents of the three packages tested positive for the characteristics of fentanyl, heroin and cocaine. Agents arrested the man and held him for further processing.
The combined weight of the three packages was nearly 10 pounds with a total estimated value of $338,368.
El Centro Sector turned over the driver, a 30-year-old United States citizen, the vehicle, and the narcotics to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.