CBP officers seize over 215 pounds of fentanyl pills

OTAY MESA, Calif. (KYMA, KECY) - Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers at the Otay Mesa Port of Entry found 215.11 pounds of fentanyl pills concealed inside an SUV.

In a press release, the incident happened on Sunday, November 24, at around 2:30am, when CBP officers encountered a 31-year-old man driving a 2008 SUV who was "applying for admission into the United States from Mexico."

CBP says a K-9 unit inspected the SUV, where they alerted officers "to the presence of narcotics," to which CBP officers referred the driver and vehicle for "further inspection."

After that, CBP says officer screened the vehicle using "non-intrusive inspection technology," which revealed "anomalies throughout the vehicle," leading officers to find and seize "a total of 30 packages from the rear quarter panels, spare tire and doors of the vehicle."

According to CBP, the packages tested positive for fentanyl which weighed 215.11 pounds.

"Fentanyl is a highly lethal drug that continues to plague our southern border...I'm incredibly proud of our officers who courageously confront this threat and seize these lethal drugs on a daily basis," said Rosa Hernandez, Port Director for the Otay Mesa Port of Entry.

Afterwards, CBP says the driver was turned over to Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) for further investigation while the narcotics and vehicle were seized by CBP officers.