CBP makes largest fentanyl seizure of the year on Tijuana border

Fentanyl, the greatest threat facing thousands of people in the United States, has prompted major efforts by authorities seeking to curb the trafficking of this drug, and in those efforts, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) achieved the largest seizure of fiscal year 2024.

Through a statement, the agency reported that The seizure was recorded on the border between Mexico and the United States, at the Otay Mesa checkpoint.when the driver of a semi-truck tried to cross from Tijuana, Baja California, to San Diego, California. The unit was subjected to inspection, thus discovering the drug shipment.

Although everything seemed normal at first, the agents discovered a hidden compartment and subjected the unit to X-rays and a canine sniff, both of which tested positive for drugs.

Operation Apollo

Several packages in blue wrappers were hidden beneath the false floor of the trailer platform. According to CBP, the bricks with fentanyl weighed 133.6 pounds (equivalent to 60.5 kilograms); and another 77 bricks of cocaine weighed 227.96 pounds (equivalent to 104 kilograms).

Both the drugs and the vehicle were seized, while the 44-year-old driver was turned over to Homeland Security Investigations for further investigation.

“This record seizure is a stark reminder of the ongoing battle against drug trafficking. The magnitude of the discovery shows how far traffickers go and reflects the exceptional work of our agents,” said Rosa Hernández, Port Director of the Otay Mesa Port Area.

This seizure is part of Operation Apollo, which began on October 26, 2023, in Southern California and was extended to Arizona on April 10, 2024, and which focuses on gathering intelligence and strengthening alliances between various agencies to combat fentanyl smuggling in the United States, the statement said.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that More than 150 people die daily from overdose related to synthetic opioids derived from fentanyl.

Loss for the drug trafficker

The value of what was seized on the illegal market amounts to $2,080,000just cocaine, since each kilo in the United States can sell for up to $13,000.

It is not so easy to calculate the value of fentanyl; the weekly magazine Proceso published an article detailing that it can be obtained very easily on the Dark Web.

With the figures provided by the Mexican media, it is established that Every 100 grams of the synthetic opioid is $2,400so the amount seized at the gate would exceed 1.44 million dollars.

Continue reading:
– 700,000 fentanyl pills discovered hidden in cans of food at Arizona border crossing.
– CBP detects more sophisticated drug trafficking techniques to hide drugs crossing the border.