Customs and Border Protection stopped two separate vehicles and confiscated over $300,000 worth of narcotics over the span of a day.
The apprehensions continue to demonstrate the that smugglers are attempting to bring across the southern U.S. border, even as immigration numbers have plummeted in recent months.
On Sunday, May 17, agents at the San Ysidro Port of Entry referred a 2013 Civic for secondary inspection. After an imaging system detected anomalies in the cars firewall, they discovered six packages of white fentanyl powder worth roughly $113,600 along with 8.4 pounds of cocaine worth an estimated $161,600.
That same day at the Calexico East Port of Entry, about 100 miles away, a 2011 Cube was also sent to secondary inspection. Agents there discovered 63 packets of methamphetamine after a scan of that vehicle detected anomalies in its flooring.
Officials praised both detections.
“Sunday may be a day of rest for many, but criminals dont take days off, and neither do our CBP officers,” Director of Field Operations Sidney Aki said
“Our officers remain vigilant around the clock, and these significant seizures are a direct result of their commitment to keeping dangerous drugs like these from entering our country.”
The agency believes its operations are a continuation of efforts laid out by President and DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin, even as immigration border crossings have come down.
Since the end of 2024, going from over 144,000 encounters in December 2024 to just 10,000 in April.
Even so, CBP has reported several high-profile smuggling attempts that have sought to bring weapons, narcotics and humans across the U.S. border.
Recently, CBP has released reports on how it had prevented a car carrying a rocket-propelled the border, detected dozens of immigrants crammed into a semi-truck and even detained a boat off the coast of the Dominican Republic with the help of a Black Hawk helicopter.
“CBP officers along the stop illegal activity, including the smuggling of drugs and humans, and facilitate lawful entry for millions of legitimate travelers into the United States,” CBP said in a statement.
