SAN DIEGO – U.S. Customs and Border Protection personnel seized a record amount of fentanyl and cocaine at Otay Mesa.
On August 9, officers discovered a record 360 pounds of fentanyl and cocaine hidden in a flatbed trailer, the greatest fentanyl bust by CBP this fiscal year.
CBP officials observed a 44-year-old man driving a commercial tractor-trailer with an empty flatbed attempting to enter the United States at the Otay Mesa Commercial Facility. Following a thorough search, CBP officials discovered 77 packages of cocaine weighing over 220 pounds and 50 packets of fentanyl powder exceeding 133 pounds.
“This record-breaking seizure is a stark reminder of the ongoing fight against drug trafficking,” stated Rosa Hernandez, Port Director for the Area Ports of Otay Mesa. “Concealing such a staggering quantity of fentanyl and cocaine within a flatbed trailer shows the lengths traffickers will go and further showcases the exceptional vigilance and hard work our officers perform daily.”
The suspect who drove the truck was turned over to the Department of Homeland Security.
CBP says the record drug seizure is part of the department’s Operation Apollo, a counter-fentanyl program that began in October 2023. The operation began in Southern California and moved to Arizona.