ANDRADE, Calif. (Border Report) — U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers intercepted the largest seizure in the history of the Andrade Port of Entry in California with almost $1 million worth of fentanyl and methamphetamine.
The border crossing is located at the California-Arizona state line.
CBP said that at approximately 1:13 p.m. Sunday, officers stopped the 37-year-old woman driver of a pickup as she tried to enter the U.S.
A CBP officer referred the driver and the vehicle to secondary inspection.
Officers utilized the port’s imaging system to screen the vehicle and observed “irregularities in the gas tank,” according to CBP.
A K-9 was brought in and confirmed the presence of narcotics.
According to a CBP news release, officers discovered a total of 76 packages concealed within the gas tank.
It was determined that 46 of the bundles contained fentanyl pills weighing nearly 54 pounds with an estimated street value of $746,590.
The other 30 packages had roughly 32 pounds of methamphetamine with a street value of almost $212,000.
“Fentanyl is one of the deadliest drug threats our nation has ever encountered,” said Sidney Aki, CBP Director of Field Operations in San Diego. “Continuing to amplify fentanyl awareness and the dangers it poses to the health and safety of the American people is paramount.”
The narcotics and vehicle were seized by CBP officers.
The woman, a U.S. Citizen, was turned over to the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Homeland Security Investigations for further processing.
