San Diego Sector Border Patrol agents seized more than 38 pounds of fentanyl during a vehicle stop on Interstate 5 Thursday.
Agents on patrol near the San Clemente Border Patrol Station stopped a grey sedan heading northbound on Interstate 5 near the Vista Hermosa Highway exit.
A Border Patrol canine team conducted an air sniff of the vehicle alerting the probable presence of narcotics near the trunk. Agents searched the trunk and noticed the spare tire to be heavier than normal prompting further inspection.
Tests revealed 15 cellophane wrapped packages containing blue fentanyl pills inside the spare tire. The pills weighed more than 38 pounds with an estimated street value of $1,720,000.00.
The driver and narcotics were turned over to the Drug Enforcement Administration for federal prosecution. The vehicle was seized by U.S. Border Patrol.
This seizure is part of the recently announced Operation Apollo, a joint regional operation comprised of federal, state and local agencies working to combat the threat from fentanyl and other illicit narcotics.