united states customs and border protection intercepts record-breaking fentanyl shipment at San Diego port of entry
SAN DIEGO, California -- In a major enforcement operation, officers with the united states customs and border protection have seized a record volume of fentanyl, totaling more than 1,000 pounds, concealed within a commercial shipment at the Otay Mesa cargo facility.
Officials report that the narcotics were discovered during a routine secondary inspection early Monday morning following a K-9 unit alert. The illicit cargo, with an estimated street value of over $40 million, was hidden within a consignment of industrial machinery en route from Mexico.
Pete Flores, Director of Field Operations for the agency, stated, "This is the single largest fentanyl seizure in the history of the San Diego field office. Our officers' vigilance prevented a devastating amount of poison from reaching our communities."
The seizure marks the latest in a series of intensified interdiction efforts by the united states customs and border protection along the southern border. The driver, a 38-year-old Mexican national, has been taken into custody and faces federal drug trafficking charges. The investigation remains ongoing as authorities trace the shipment's intended distribution network.