California Border Patrol agents seize more than 74 pounds of narcotics, arrest two in separate incidents

California-based Border Patrol agents recently seized more than 40 pounds of heroin and 34 pounds of fentanyl over separate incidents.

The first event occurred as agents encountered a 46-year old man driving a 2014 Nissan Versa sedan near the Border Patrol checkpoint along Interstate 5 in San Clemente. After a narcotics-detecting canine unit alerted officers to possible suspicious activity within the vehicle, the officers conducted a more thorough, secondary inspection.

The resulting search led to the discovery of 14 bundles of heroin, which weighed a combined 40.34 pounds. The narcotics carried an approximate street value of $564,000. The man was then turned over to the Drug Enforcement Agency for processing while his vehicle was seized by Border Patrol.

The following incident occurred as Border Patrol agents assigned to the Interstate 15 checkpoint near Clinton Keith Road encountered a 26-year old U.S. citizen driving a 2015 Volkswagen Vento sedan. After a narcotics-detecting canine unit alerted officers to possible suspicious activity within the vehicle, the officers referred the man for a more thorough secondary inspection.

The subsequent search led to the discovery of a cardboard box in the vehicle’s trunk which contained 10 plastic-wrapped bundles of fentanyl. The bundles weighed 34.57 pounds and carried an approximate street value of $1.1 million. The man was then turned over to a Riverside County detention center and his vehicle was seized by Border Patrol.