U.S. Border Patrol at San Diego Crossing Seizes $2.5 Million Worth of Fentanyl Hidden Inside Porcelain Sinks

The U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency prevented $2.5 million worth of narcotics from entering the United States when it grew suspicious of the cargo, according to a press release.

At about 3:30 p.m. Monday, a 45-year-old Mexican national applied for entry through the Otay Mesa Port of Entry located in San Diego while driving a white 2000 Ford cargo van carrying porcelain sinks.

The driver presented a valid border-crossing card and a shipping document for two porcelain sinks, officials stated, but an officer referred the vehicle for further inspection. 

His vehicle and shipment were screened as part of a port imaging system when it discovered “anomalies within the shipment,” the press release stated. A K-9 unit also signaled to the sinks.

Investigators discovered 12 packages containing 858,000 blue pills, which tested positive for fentanyl. It weighed 189 lbs. and was valued at $2,574,000, officials stated.

The driver was turned over to the Homeland Security Investigations department.

“Narcotics traffickers will try new and innovative ways to smuggle dangerous drugs across our border, but CBP officers are always on their toes,” said Rosa Hernandez, port director for the Otay Mesa entry. 

She added, “Thanks to our officers’ experience, this interception prevented hundreds of thousands of fentanyl pills from ever reaching our communities.”