DrugsNewsOne to watch

USBP Seizes Heroin, Fentanyl Concealed in Car’s Battery

U.S. Border Patrol (agents on Wednesday morning arrested a woman who possessed nine pounds of heroin and one pound of fentanyl inside her vehicle’s battery.

At approximately 10 a.m., USBP agents on patrol pulled over  an adult female driving on  Interstate 15 near Temecula.  

After speaking with the driver, agents conducted a K-9 sniff of the vehicle. The K-9 quickly alerted to the vehicle’s engine compartment.  Searching further, agents discovered signs of tampering on the vehicle’s battery.  Shortly after, the driver admitted the battery  contained illegal narcotics.  Agents arrested the driver and transported her and the vehicle to a nearby Border Patrol station.

Further inspection at the station revealed four packages concealed inside the battery.  The packages contained 9.26 pounds of heroin and 1.23 pounds of suspected fentanyl and have an estimated street value of $105,000.

“These substances destabilize communities by fueling addiction and creating dependence,” said U.S. Border Patrol San Diego Sector Chief Patrol Agent Aaron Heitke.  “Drug seizures like these emphasize a simple truth. Border security is national security.”

The narcotics and the driver were turned over to the Drug Enforcement Administration Los Angeles Field Division for further investigation and U.S. Border Patrol seized vehicle.