Several pounds of fentanyl, heroin, cocaine found hidden in muffler at U.S.-Mexico border

OTAY MESA, Calif. (FOX 5/KUSI) — Several pounds of narcotics were intercepted from a vehicle attempting to cross the border into the United States last week by U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers, authorities said.

CBP reports officers at the Otay Mesa Port of Entry discovered 4.62 pounds of fentanyl powder, 7.71 pounds of black tar heroin, 2.46 pounds of brown powder heroin, and 2.11 pounds of cocaine concealed in the muffler of a vehicle while a 28-year-old man was applying for admission into the country from Mexico around 4:30 a.m. Thursday.

Officers were alerted to the narcotics by their K-9 team while the vehicle was undergoing inspection. CBP says the traveler and the vehicle were then sent to secondary inspection for further examination.

During the secondary inspection, CBP officers report they found irregularities in the muffler during a full scan of the vehicle. That’s when border officers found 10 packages in the vehicle’s muffler that contained fentanyl powder, black tar heroin, brown powder heroin, and cocaine, weighing a total of 16.9 pounds.

The 28-year-old driving the vehicle was turned over to the custody of Homeland Security Investigations for further investigation.

CBP officers seized both the vehicle and the narcotics.

“Our CBP officers successfully intercepted a significant narcotics seizure ingeniously concealed within a vehicle’s muffler,” said Rosa E. Hernandez, Port Director for the Otay Mesa and Tecate ports of entry. “This singular event highlights the innovative, yet desperate measures used by drug trafficking organizations. Our dedicated officers remain vigilant, continuing to safeguard our communities from the dangers of illicit drugs.”

The Director of Field Operations for the San Diego Field Office, Sidney Aki, posted on X that between July 8 and July 14, CBP officers prevented 1,610 pounds of narcotics from reaching the streets and communities of San Diego.

The seizures are the result of Operation Apollo, a counter-fentanyl effort that began on Oct. 26, 2023, in southern California, and expanded to Arizona on April 10, 2024.

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