U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers have seized nearly $2.8 million worth of fentanyl and methamphetamine during two separate operations at the San Ysidro port of entry, all within a span of just six days.
The first seizure took place on April 19, when officers at the San Ysidro port of entry discovered more than 116 pounds of narcotics hidden inside the roof of a vehicle. The drugs, a combination of fentanyl and methamphetamine, carry an estimated street value of over $2 million.
The driver, a 27-year-old Mexican national, was behind the wheel of a 2019 Honda Pilot when officers referred her for a secondary inspection. A non-intrusive scan revealed anomalies in the vehicle’s roof, and a CBP canine unit alerted to the same area. A subsequent physical search uncovered 94 hidden packages.
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Inside those packages, officers found approximately 35 pounds of powdered fentanyl, valued at nearly $1.95 million, along with 80 pounds of methamphetamine, worth an estimated $80,550.
CBP seized both the narcotics and the vehicle. The driver was arrested and now faces federal drug smuggling charges.
Just six days earlier, on April 13, CBP officers made another significant bust at the same port of entry. This time, they seized 14.02 pounds of powdered fentanyl valued at $764,727 and arrested a 20-year-old Mexican citizen.
The suspect was driving a 2025 Toyota Corolla enrolled in the SENTRI trusted traveler program when he was flagged for secondary inspection.
A K-9 officer had alerted on the vehicle during routine patrol operations even before the primary inspection began.
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A non-intrusive scan later revealed anomalies in the rear panels of the car. During a physical inspection, officers found six hidden packages containing 14.02 pounds of white powdered fentanyl, the equivalent of roughly 509,818 fentanyl pills.
The driver was taken into custody, and authorities seized the narcotics, the vehicle, and the suspect’s mobile phone.
“Smugglers use complex techniques to hide dangerous narcotics like fentanyl and methamphetamine,” said Mariza Marin, director of the San Ysidro port of entry.
