Over $1 million worth of drugs found in vehicle on I-8

PINE VALLEY, Calif. (FOX 5/KUSI) — A driver suspected of attempting to smuggle drugs at a U.S. Border Patrol checkpoint is in custody, authorities said.

The seizure occurred Thursday afternoon on Interstate 8 near Pine Valley, U.S. Customs and Border Protection said in a news release Friday.

One of the vehicles required a secondary inspection when the Border Patrol’s K-9 team found nine cellophane bags containing suspicious blue pills inside the trunk, according to authorities.

The blue pills were determined as fentanyl, weighing around 168 pounds and worth an estimated street value of $1.3 million.

The driver of the vehicle, a man described as a 22-year-old U.S. citizen, and the drugs were turned over to the San Diego Border Crime Suppression Team, while U.S. Border Patrol seized the vehicle. State charges are being sought for the suspect, according to CBP.

“Fentanyl is a major factor in the record number of overdoses occurring in our nation,” said San Diego Sector Chief Patrol Agent Patricia McGurk-Daniel. “I applaud our agents’ vigilance and commitment to keeping our communities safe from this dangerous poison.”

In the current fiscal year, San Diego Border Patrol agents have captured around 600 pounds of fentanyl, per border officials.

To report suspicious activity to the U.S. Border Patrol, contact 911 or San Diego Sector at 619-498-9900.

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