By SDCN Editor
Temecula, CA–San Diego Sector Border Patrol agents seized more than 80 pounds of cocaine hidden inside a Sport Utility Vehicle Tuesday morning.
At 10:30 a.m., agents assigned to the Newton-Azrak Border Patrol Station conducted a vehicle stop on Interstate 15 in Temecula. During the stop, a Border Patrol canine team conducted an air sniff of the vehicle, and the canine was alerted to the possible presence of narcotics. A cursory search of the vehicle revealed cellophane-wrapped packages consistent with narcotics smuggling. The occupants of the vehicle were placed under arrest and transported to the nearby station.
At the Newton-Azrak Border Patrol Station, a thorough search of the vehicle was conducted and 31 bundles were extracted from a non-factory compartment behind the dashboard. The substance in the bundles tested positive for cocaine, with a total weight of 81 pounds.
Riverside County Southwest Investigations Bureau (SIB) was notified and responded. The driver, passenger, and narcotics were turned over to the SIB for prosecution under state charges. The vehicle was seized by the U.S. Border Patrol.
“I am proud to say that men and women of the United States Border Patrol are out there day and night protecting our communities,” said Chief Patrol Agent Patricia McGurk-Daniel. “With each successful narcotic interdiction, I know for a fact that we’ve saved someone’s life.”
The seizure is part of the ongoing Operation Apollo, a joint regional operation comprised of federal, state, and local agencies working to combat the threat of fentanyl and other illicit narcotics.
This year, San Diego Sector Border Patrol agents have seized 2,437 pounds of cocaine. This is a 300-pound increase from the previous fiscal year, during which agents seized 2,100 pounds of cocaine. The sector has also seized 3,627 pounds of methamphetamine, 31 pounds of heroin, and 475 pounds of fentanyl.
