El Centro Border Patrol agents seize $130K worth of Fentanyl pills

INDIO, Calif. (KYMA, KECY) — U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) said El Centro Sector Border Patrol agents arrested a U.S. citizen for attempting to smuggle fentanyl through an immigration checkpoint.

The incident happened on Wednesday evening when a ride-share taxi driver was carrying four passengers and entered the inspection area of the immigration checkpoint on Highway 86.

CBP said a K-9 team trained to detect concealed humans and narcotics requested consent to search the vehicle from the driver and was granted permission.

The K-9 alerted to the trunk area of the vehicle and agents discovered several bags inside.

CBP said the K-9 also alerted to a backpack and a speaker that belonged to someone who claimed them as their property.

Agents then found several wrapped packages consistent with wrapping commonly used to transport illegal narcotics after searching the speaker and backpack.

CBP said a sample was taken from one of the packages and came out positive for fentanyl.

According to CBP, the total weight of the fentanyl was 9.7 pounds with an estimated street value of $130,000.

The passenger is a U.S. citizen who was arrested and turned over to the Drug Enforcement Administration along with the narcotics, said CBP.