More than $1 million worth of fentanyl, meth seized at Border Patrol checkpoint
More than $1 million worth of fentanyl and methamphetamine was confiscated at the Border Patrol Highway 86 checkpoint Wednesday afternoon.
Customs and Border Protection said the seizure happened at about 5:35 p.m. A 24-year-old Mexican man with a valid Border Crossing card driving a grey Nissan Versa arrived at the checkpoint.
Agents sent the man to secondary inspection where authorities found 33 packages hidden in an aftermarket floorboard located in the front passenger and rear passenger area, CBP said. The packages were examined and tested positive for the characteristics of fentanyl and methamphetamine.
There were eight packages wrapped in cellophane holding fentanyl, weighing 18.33 pounds with an estimated street value of $997,680.
The remaining 25 packages were wrapped in black tape and contained methamphetamine, totaling 30.27 pounds with an estimated street value of $69,261.
The narcotics seized had a combined street value of $1,066,941.
“Stopping this narcotics trafficking event represents a significant seizure and undoubtedly softened the blow to our communities that the opioid crisis is causing,” said David S. Kim, Assistant Chief Patrol Agent. “Our agents deserve all the credit for the hard work and dedication they display every day to keep our communities safe.”
The man, narcotics, and vehicle were turned over to the Drug Enforcement Administration for further investigation.
