Customs and Border Protection officers in California have confiscated more than 3.5 million fentanyl pills, worth an estimated street value of $21,120,000. Officials stated that the fentanyl pills were concealed within a shipment of green beans.
On Monday, April 17, at approximately 7:21 p.m., the driver of the tractor trailer carrying the shipment, a 48-year-old male, was referred for an intensive agriculture inspection, during which a full scan of the tractor trailer was conducted.
Upon finding irregularities, CBP officers requested a human/narcotic detector dog, which alerted officers to the presence of narcotics. A total of 308 packages of fentanyl pills, weighing 776.03 pounds, were extracted from the green bean shipment.
The driver was detained for alleged narcotic smuggling and turned over to the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The tractor, trailer, and narcotics were all seized by CBP officers.
Rosa Hernandez, Port Director for the Otay Mesa Cargo Facility, praised the officers for their exceptional performance and for their continued efforts to keep dangerous drugs off the streets.
