3 Teens Caught Smuggling Over $400K Worth Of Powerful Opioid Fentanyl Into US Through San Diego Border Crossing
SAN DIEGO (CBSLA) — Three teens are in federal police custody after border patrol agents in San Diego discovered opioids worth nearly $450,000 strapped to their bodies during three separate smuggling attempts over the weekend.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents in San Diego said on Tuesday the first teen, a 17-year-old, was apprehended Friday, March 30 as he tried to cross into the U.S. at the San Ysidro port of entry.
"A CBP officer conducting inspections at the primary booth noticed some inconsistencies and conducted a visual search of the teen, revealing an anomaly on his back," an agency press release read. After patting the teen down, the officer found two packages of what was later identified as the powerful opiate fentanyl weighing over 4 pounds strapped to the boy's body. The drugs are worth an estimated $141,000 in street value, authorities said.
The following night, agents stopped and searched two more teens — ages 15 and 17 — attempting to cross roughly 5 pounds of fentanyl each about 10 minutes from apart. The drugs, similarly strapped to the boys' bodies, are worth an estimated street value of $143,000 each.
"These cases all involve juveniles allegedly attempting to smuggle a dangerous and lethal narcotic such as fentanyl," said CBP San Diego Field Operations Director Pete Flores. "Fentanyl is known to be 50 to 100 times more deadly than heroin."
The week prior to these incidents, two teens from Mexico were caught attempting to smuggle packages of fentanyl and cocaine worth a estimated total of $920,000.