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CBP Arrests Truck Driver with 3.5 Million Fentanyl Pills Valued at $21.1 Million

Truck Driver with 3.5 Million Fentanyl Pills Valued at $21.1 Million in San Diego, California.
CBP

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) detained the driver of a tractor-trailer carrying green beans at the Otay Mesa port in San Diego, California, after finding around 800 pounds of fentanyl hidden among the products. After conducting a “non-intrusive” search, officers discovered more than 3.5 million fentanyl pills valued at $21.1 million.

The driver, a 48-year-old man, was detained and taken into Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody on charges of attempted narcotics smuggling. Fentanyl has specifically been a problem amid the opioid crisis in the United States, with the drug blamed for its involvement in a mix with a veterinary tranquilizer that the White House has labeled an “emerging threat.”

The drug seizure was one of the largest made in a single week by CBP officers after the launch of Homeland Security’s Operation Blue Lotus on March 13. This operation was part of a multi-pronged strategy by the Biden administration “to combat the scourge of fentanyl.” Some Republican lawmakers have called for a military response against dangerous drug cartels in Mexico.

Photo CBP (Customs and Border Patrol)

Meanwhile, CBP continues to work to combat drug trafficking in the United States. The arrest of this driver is a sign that the agency is taking strong steps to ensure border security. The seizure of 800 pounds of fentanyl is a stark reminder of the dangers posed by the opioid epidemic and a victory for border officials in their fight against dangerous drug smuggling.