El Centro Sector Border Patrol agents arrested a U.S. citizen attempting to smuggle fentanyl.
At about 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, a ride-share taxi driver carrying four passengers approached the Border Patrol inspection station on Highway 86. The vehicle and passengers were referred to secondary inspection where a K-9 team alerted to the vehicle. Agents located a backpack and speaker that belonged to one of the passengers. A search of the items led to the discovery of nearly 10 pounds of fentanyl with a street value estimated at $130,000. The passenger was arrested and turned over to the Drug Enforcement Administration.
The seizure was part of Operation Appolo, a joint regional operation involving federal, state and local agencies working to combat the threat from fentanyl and other synthetic narcotics. To date, from February 19 - 25, an estimated $9,100,000 worth of narcotics have been interdicted in 42 separate incidents in the San Diego Field Office ports of entry that includes Imperial County. That includes 554 pounds of cocaine, 229 pounds of fentanyl and 1,650 pounds of methamphetamine.