San Diego Sector Border Patrol Halts 2 Large Fentanyl Hauls

SAN DIEGO, CA — Just before the Memorial Day holiday got underway, U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents who serve out of Murrieta's Newton Azrak station intercepted two fentanyl hauls on Interstate 15 in Southwest Riverside County.

While arrests were made and about 130 pounds of the illicit narcotic were seized during the busts that came over a 48-hour period, the incidents were notable due to the thousands of potential poisonings that could have occurred if the drug made it to the streets: According to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, just 2 milligrams of fentanyl is considered a potentially lethal dose. One pound of fentanyl contains 453,592 milligrams.

The first bust occurred around 10:50 a.m. on May 24 after border patrol agents stopped a 2008 Chevrolet Tahoe that was heading north on Interstate 15 into Temecula, just north of the border patrol checkpoint.

Agents searched the vehicle and found 67 packages stowed in the gas tank, according to U.S. Border Patrol/San Diego Sector Special Operations Supervisor Tekae Michael. Sixty-five of the bundles contained pills that tested positive for fentanyl and another two packages contained fentanyl powder, Michael reported.

The total haul weighed just under 90 pounds and had a street value exceeding $900,000, according to Michael.

The narcotics along with the Tahoe driver and passengers — all U.S. citizens — were turned over to Homeland Security Investigations and the multi-agency Inland Crackdown Allied Task Force. Arrest records were not available. The Tahoe was seized by border patrol.

In a released statement, Eddy Wang, acting special agent in charge for HSI Los Angeles, said his agency — in partnership with the U.S. Border Patrol and INCA — is dedicated to preventing "this poison from hitting our streets."

About 48 hours after the bust, another one occurred in about the same area of Southwest Riverside County. At approximately 9:45 a.m. on May 26, border patrol agents stopped a white Jeep Liberty heading north on the interstate.

During that vehicle search, agents found 42 packages stowed in four tires that had after-market compartments — 34 bundles contained fentanyl powder and eight contained heroin, according to Michael.

The fentanyl weighed 39.5 pounds and had an estimated street value of $474,000. The heroin weighed 26.9 pounds and had an estimated street value of $345,600, Michael reported.

The driver, a Mexican national, was booked on state charges. The narcotics and vehicle were seized by border patrol, according to Michael.

It's not clear what prompted agents to stop the vehicles and search them. Michael did not indicate whether the two incidents were linked.

So far this fiscal year, San Diego Sector U.S. Border Patrol agents, including those from the local Murrieta station, have seized over 560 pounds of fentanyl and 128 pounds of heroin, according to Michael. The U.S. Customs and Border Protection fiscal year begins October 1.

Fentanyl has become a lucrative substance for drug dealers, according to "Facts about Fentanyl" posted by the DEA:

"Illicit fentanyl, primarily manufactured in foreign clandestine labs and smuggled into the United States through Mexico, is being distributed across the country and sold on the illegal drug market. Fentanyl is being mixed in with other illicit drugs to increase the potency of the drug, sold as powders and nasal sprays, and increasingly pressed into pills made to look like legitimate prescription opioids.

"Because there is no official oversight or quality control, these counterfeit pills often contain lethal doses of fentanyl, with none of the promised drug.

"There is significant risk that illegal drugs have been intentionally contaminated with fentanyl. Because of its potency and low cost, drug dealers have been mixing fentanyl with other drugs including heroin, methamphetamine, and cocaine, increasing the likelihood of a fatal interaction."

Chief Border Patrol Agent Aaron Heitke said, "By seizing these narcotics, our border patrol agents not only keep dangerous drugs out of our communities but also deny criminal organizations the profits derived from their sale."